por The air components They are the series of variable and invariable chemical elements that make up this great natural resource. Many years ago it was studied what air was and what it was composed of. Greek philosophers, who wondered why they couldn’t see something that felt and was so essential to functioning, came to different conclusions.
For most of them, it was a divine element that gave rise to life and that together with water, fire and earth created a powerful force that brought together everything that was present in nature.
However, it was not until the 17th century AD that the current conception of air was reached: a homogeneous set of gases and different elements.
Main components of air
Thanks to these studies mentioned above, we can now understand a concept as abstract as air with a little more clarity.
Air has different components and they are usually divided into two groups: constant components and variable components.
Based on this classification, we will explain each of them in detail.
1- Constant components
To this group belong the elements and gases that, regardless of the condition, are always present in the composition of the air. These are nitrogen and oxygen.
Nitrogen is the element with the greatest presence in the constitution and formation of air. Only 71% of the air is made up of nitrogen.
Nitrogen is a non-reactive gas, which is present in the human body and is vital for all living beings.
This gas has a great influence on plant growth and even most fertilizers are made with nitrogen, with the intention of stimulating the development of the plant organism.
On the other hand, oxygen is part of 21% of the composition of air. Chemically, it is considered the producer of acids and thanks to that, it makes terrestrial life possible.
Although nitrogen has a major part in the composition of air, its existence would not even be possible without the exact amount of oxygen.
As mentioned, the latter is a producer of acids and somehow catalyzes and gives rise to different reactions.
Oxygen makes up most of the water, and since the human body is 70% water, it is also the main element in humans.
2- Variable components
When we refer to the variable components of the air, they are those elements that may or may not be present in the air, and in general, it depends on a certain place. Therefore, the air content may vary depending on the area or space.
Also, the composition of the air and the presence of these variable elements depend on the atmospheric condition of a certain moment or on habits in that society, which could modify the constitution and composition of the air, increasing or altering the presence of some elements.
For example, if a thunderstorm has just occurred, it is common for the air to contain nitrogen oxide particles, since they are expelled during this climatic process.
If you are in a place with a lot of cars and the environmental pollution from factory smoke is high, the air probably contains carbon dioxide.
Also, the density and composition of the air can vary depending on the height or distance from the earth’s surface.
Among the most common variable elements are carbon dioxide, water vapor, helium, argon, krypton, hydrogen, ozone, methane, among others.
Each of these elements plays a fundamental role in the life of every living being, fulfilling important functions.
These are so common and happen so often or in a cycle that we see them normally and ignore the whole process behind it.
An example of this is photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a process carried out by plants and that is only possible with the presence of oxygen, but also carbon dioxide.
air and water
For its part, the water vapor that accumulates in the air is an element that is produced when water reaches its gaseous state. When it condenses and there is too much water vapor in the air, fog is formed.
It is considered that most of the time, argon is part of 0.934% of the air. In addition to its presence in the atmosphere, this chemical element is used to fill light bulbs and incandescent lamps, thus producing one of the main sources of light used by human beings.
Hydrogen is the lightest gas in the entire composition of air and although visible hydrogen is one of the most abundant elements on the entire earth, gaseous hydrogen has little presence. However, it is produced by algae and some bacteria.
Finally, ozone is a mixture of three oxygen atoms. This element is an oxidant and plays an important role in the atmosphere.
In addition, it is present in the stratosphere and in the troposphere. Ozone may be present in the air (depending on conditions) in low amounts, otherwise it would cause eye or throat irritation in humans.
References
AIR, E. (2005). AIR QUALITY. Recovered from: proclima.es
Capitelli, M., Armenise, I., & Gorse, C. (1997). State-to-state approach in the kinetics of air components under re-entry conditions. Journal of thermophysics and heat transfer, 11(4), 570-578. Retrieved from: arc.aiaa.org
Capitelli, M., Celiberto, R., Gorse, C., & Giordano, D. (1995). Transport properties of high temperature air components: A review. Plasma chemistry and plasma processing, 16, S267-S302. Retrieved from: link.springer.com
Flores, J., Lopez Moreno, S., & Albert, LA (1995). Pollution and its effects on health and the environment. In Pollution and its effects on health and the environment. Center for Ecology and Development. Retrieved from: bases.bireme.br
Loriot, V., Hertz, E., Faucher, O., & Lavorel, B. (2009). Measurement of high order Kerr refractive index of major air components. Optics express, 17(16), 13429-13434. Retrieved from: osapublishing.org
Mount, L.E. (1964). The tissue and air components of thermal insulation in the new‐born pig. The Journal of physiology, 170(2), 286-295. Retrieved from: onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Vasserman, AA, Kazavchinskii, YZ, & Rabinovich, VA (1971). Thermophysical Properties of Air and Air Components (Teplofizicheskie Svoistva Vozdukha i ego Komponentov). NATIONAL STANDARD REFERENCE DATA SYSTEM. Retrieved from: dtic.mil.