The Composition of Air
The chart below shows the approximate percentages by volume of the main gases in unpolluted,
dry air:
Pie chart showing the composition of clean dry air
Uses of air
The gases available in the air have many important applications
The noble gases are used in many applications, e.g. helium is used to fill balloons, argon is used
in tungsten light bulbs, krypton is used in lasers for eye surgery
Oxygen is used in steel making, welding and breathing apparatus
Nitrogen is used in food packaging, the production of ammonia and in the production
of silicon chips
Oxygen and nitrogen are separated from the air by fractional distillation
Investigating the percentage of oxygen in air
The percentage of oxygen in the air can be investigated by passing a known quantity of air over
a metal
The oxygen in the air will react with the metal, forming a metal oxide
The oxygen will be removed from the air and the volume of the air with the oxygen removed
can be measured
An example of the apparatus that can be used to investigate this is shown below:
Method:
Heat the copper using a Bunsen burner
Push the plunger of the syringe containing air, forcing the air into the other plunger until all of
the air has transferred
Push the air back from the now filled plunger to the other plunger
Repeat this several times for about 3 minutes
The copper will turn black as copper reacts with the oxygen in the air and copper oxide is
produced
Allow the apparatus to cool
1
Ensure all the gas is in one syringe and record the volume of gas
The percentage of oxygen in the air can be calculated from the results
Worked Example
In the experiment above, the starting volume of air was 50.0 cm3 of air and the final volume of air was
39.5 cm3
Calculate the percentage of oxygen in the air.
Step 1 - calculate the volume of oxygen in 50.0 cm3 of air
volume of oxygen in air = starting volume - final volume
= 50.0 - 39.5 = 10.5 cm3
Step 2 - calculate the percentage of oxygen in air
Percentage of oxygen in air =
= 21.0 %
Air Pollution
In addition to the gases present naturally in our atmosphere, other gases are present due to
human activities and are classed as air pollutants
Carbon dioxide
Sources: complete combustion of carbon-containing fuels such as fossil fuels, e.g. the complete
combustion of methane:
CH4 + O2 → CO2 + 2H2O
Adverse effects: increases global warming, which leads to climate change
Carbon monoxide
Sources: incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels such as fossil fuels, e.g. incomplete
combustion of gasoline:
C8H18 + 9O2 → 5CO + 2CO2 + 9H2O
Adverse effects: toxic, combining with haemoglobin in the blood and prevents it from carrying
oxygen
Particulates
Sources: incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels such as fossil fuels can also produce
particulates of carbon (soot), e.g the incomplete combustion of methane can produce CO and C:
2CH4 + 3O2→ 2CO + 4H2O
CH4 + O2→ C + 2H2O
Adverse effects: respiratory problems and cancer
Methane
Sources: waste gases from digestive processes of animals, decomposition of vegetation, bacterial
action in swamps, rice paddy fields and landfill sites
Adverse effects: increases global warming, which leads to climate change
Oxides of nitrogen
Sources: reaction of nitrogen with oxygen in the presence of high temperatures, e.g. in car
engines, high-temperature furnaces and when lightning occurs. It is also a product of bacterial
action in the soil
Adverse effects:
o Produces photochemical smog
o Dissolves in rain to form acid rain which causes corrosion to metal structures, buildings
and statues made of carbonate rocks, damage to aquatic organisms. Pollutes crops and
water supplies, irritates lungs, throats and eyes and causes respiratory problems
Sulfur dioxide
Sources: combustion of fossil fuels containing sulfur compounds. Power stations are a major source of
sulfur dioxide
Adverse effects: dissolves in rain to form acid rain with similar effects as the acid rain caused
by oxides of nitrogen
