CHAPTER 5

The Air Around Us

5.1 What is air made of
State what is air made of
Explain why air is mixture
State the everage percentage of nitrogen, oxygen
and carbon dioxide
Carries out activities that shows:
1. The percentage of oxygen
2. That air contains water vapour,
microorganisms and dust
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All living things need air to live.We can fast for
a day or two without taking any food or water,
but how long can we live without air? Take a
deep breath and hold it as long as you can.
Then exhale onto your palm. Can you feel the
air coming out from your nostrils? We cannot
see the air but we know it is there.
Earth is surrounded by 30 kilometres of air: a
mixture of several different gases
mixed together in different proportions.
Unfortunately the air around us is becoming
polluted by the day. Can we live in polluted air?
What must we do to keep the air clean to save
ourselves and the rest of the world?
 What Is The Composition Of Air ?
Air is a mixture of different gases. The pie chart shows
the composition of air by percentage. What is the
average percentage of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon
dioxide and inert gases in the air? Why is the word
‘average’ used in the
earlier question?

Oxygen
21%
Carbon
dioxide 0.03%
Nitrogen
78%

Inert gases
<1%
 Air as Mixtures
As a mixture, the composition of air
varies from place to place and time to
time.

Air also contains varying amounts of water

vapour.
It can vary from practically zero in the hot
deserts to
about 5% in the tropical forests.

Air over busy cities

often contains toxic gases such as sulphur dioxide
and carbon monoxide. Air over industrial areas may
even contain traces of hydrogen and methane in
addition to the other components of the air.
Microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses are
also present in the air. Do you know that we often
catch common cold because of the
microorganisms in the air?

Why do we often detect the strong smell of disinfectants in

hospitals?
Chlorofluorocarbons, dust, grit,
smoke, and compounds of
lead are some of the tiny solid
particles that are contained in
the air. These particles often
pollute the air. What particle or
particles in the air cause haze?

Haze causes serious health problems.

People with asthma have died from breathing in hazy air.
What must we do to prevent the air from being hazy?
 Ozone is a compound made up of
three oxygen
atoms chemically combined together.
It forms a
layer high up in the Earth’s
atmosphere.

This
layer protects the Earth from the
harmful
ultraviolet rays of the Sun.

O3
 Notes
Air is a mixture of gases consisting of :
• Nitrogen 78%
•Oxygen 21%
•Inert gases <1%
•Carbon dioxide 0.03%
•Dust, microogranisms and water
vapour

Toxic gases, microorganisms, dust, smoke, grit,

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
compounds of lead and ozone are also present in our air.
CHAPTER 5
The Air Around Us

5.2 Properties of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide

List the properties of oxygen and carbon dioxide
Identify oxygen and carbon dioxide based on their
properties
Choose suitable test for oxygen and carbon dioxide

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Properties of Oxygen
is a colourless and odourless gas at room
temperature.

is soluble in water.

is very active as it readily combines chemically

with many substances to form new substances.

supports combustion as burning will not occur

without oxygen.

is needed for respiration by living things.

is produced by green plants during

photosynthesis.
Properties of Carbon Dioxide
is a colourless and odourless gas at room
temperature.

is slightly more soluble in water than oxygen.

Does not burn nor support combustion.

Is needed by plant to make food during

photosynthesis

is produced when living things respire, when carbon

or carbon compounds such as hydrocarbons and
carbonates are burnt and when carbohydrates such
as sugars and starch are fermented.

Dissolves in water to form weak acids

 Properties Oxygen Carbon dioxide

Solubility in water Slightly soluble Slightly soluble

Solubility in sodium
Not soluble Very soluble
hydroxide solution
The splinter goes out
Effect on glowing The splinter ignites
Carbon dioxide does not
splinter Oxygen supports burning
support burning

The splinter goes out

Effect on burning The splinter burns brighter
Carbon dioxide does not
wooden splinter Oxygen supports burning
supports burning

Blue litmus paper :

Oxygen has no effect on blue
Effect on moist blue
litmus paper or red litmus
litmus paper or moist
paper
red litmus paper
Oxygen is a neutral gas
Changes to red
Red litmus paper :
No Change of colour
Carbon dioxide is an acidic
gas

Effect on lime water No change Lime water turns cloudy

Changes the colour of
Effect on bicarbonate
No change bicarbonate indicator from
indicator
red to yellow
CHAPTER 5
The Air Around Us
5.3 Oxygen is needed in respiration
State that energy, CO2 and water vapor are the products of
respiration
Relate that living things use oxygen and give out , CO2 during
respiration
Compare and contrast the content of oxygen in inhaled and
exhaled air in humans
State that oxygen is needed for respiration
Carry out experiment to show that living things use O2 and give
out CO2 during respiration
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Respiration
The process where our body obtains energy from
food is called respiration.

Respiration takes place in our body

Energy
Oxygen

Water Vapour
Food
(Sugar)

Carbon dioxide
Composition Of Inhaled & Exhaled AIr
Breath In Breath Out
Oxygen (O2) Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

INHALE EXHALE

Composition Inhaled Air Exhaled Air

Oxygen High (21%) Low (16%)

Carbon Dioxide Low (0.03%) High (4%)

Water Vapour Less More

Nitrogen No changes No changes

CHAPTER 5
The Air Around Us
5.4 Oxygen is needed for combustion
State what combustion is
State that oxygen is needed for combustion
List the products of combustion
Carry out experiments to investigate combustion

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Combustion ?
Combustion is an oxidation reaction between a substance and oxygen
to give out
oxide (or oxides) and energy.
If the combustion is accompanied by flames, the process is called
burning.
Thus burning is a rapid combustion reaction between a substance and
oxygen giving out
light and heat.

When carbon (an element) burns in oxygen, an oxide is formed.

Carbon
Charcoal, + ofoxygen
an example →carbon
carbon, burns in excess dioxide
oxygen to produce
carbon dioxide gas.
 Condition for combustion ?
The presence of OXYGEN

The Presence of fuel

Enough amount of Heat is present

Combustion will not take place if any of these

condition is not present
 Combustion of carbon
Combustion Heat energy
Carbon + oxygen
+
Light energy
+
Carbon Dioxide

Combustion of hydrocarbon
Combustion Heat energy
Hydrocarbon + oxygen
+
Light energy
+
Carbon Dioxide
+
Water
CHAPTER 5
The Air Around Us
5.5 Air Pollution
Explain what is air pollution
List examples of air pollutants
List the sources of air pollutants
Describe the effects of air pollution
Explain the steps needed to prevent and control air
pollution

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 We say that there is air pollution when there is a
SUBSTANCE THAT ARE HARMFUL to our health and can
cause damage to our environment are found in the air

POLLUTANTS
DUST SMOKE

CO2 SULPHUR DIOXIDE PESTICIDES

CARBON MONOXIDE NITROGEN OXIDE

 The sources of air pollutants include motor vehicles,
factories, power plants, open burning and misuse of
pesticides

Air Pollutants Source of Pollutants

Gases (Carbon dioxide) and Motor vehicles and factories
smoke
Carbon monoxide, sulphur Motor vehicles
dioxide
Haze Open burning
Chlorofluorocarbon Aerosol spray, electronics
factories
 EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION TO OUR HEALTH
Air Pollutant Effect
Asbestos particles Lung cancer
Gases from motor vehicles Liver failure and cancer

Carbon monoxide Headaches, brain damage or death

Bronchitis, pneumonia, lung cancer
Sulphur dioxide
Acid rain: damages plants and make
iron rust faster
Chlorofluorocarbon Causes damage to the ozone layer.
Too much exposure to UV rays can
cause, skin cancer, eye diseases and
the break-down of the body’s immune
system
Carbon dioxide Causes green house effect – Will result
global warming, changes in climate,
rising sea levels/ flooding
CHAPTER 5
The Air Around Us
5.6 The Importance of Keeping the Air Clean

Describe how life would be without clean air

Suggest ways to keep the air clean
Practice habits that keep the air clean

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 Steps to prevent air
pollution

Encourage the
Limit the use of CFC use of solar
in industry energy

Encourage the use of Relocate factories

biodiesel in cars away from urban
areas
Factories of chimneys
are built to a certain Minimise
height smoking habit

Avoid open burning

SMK Perempuan Likas
Sabah