Interactive Chemistry Worksheets for Students |
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Air is made up of a mixture of gases. The major component of air is nitrogen gas followed by oxygen
| Name | Chemical formula | Percentage composition by volume | |
| Nitrogen |
N2
|
78.1 % | |
| Oxygen |
O2
|
20.9 % | |
| Argon |
Ar
|
0.9 % | |
| Carbon dioxide |
CO2
|
0.03 % | |
| Neon |
Ne
|
0.002 % | |
| Helium |
He
|
0.0005 % | |
| Methane |
CH4
|
0.0002 % | |
| Krypton |
Kr
|
0.0001 % | |
| Hydrogen |
H2
|
0.00005 % | |
| Xenon |
Xe
|
0.000009 % |
The first two gases nitrogen and oxygen make up 99.0% of the atmosphere by volume.
Nitrogen is fairly inert because of its strong triple bond holding the atoms together in the molecule.
Oxygen gas is produced by photosynthesis and removed by combustion and respiration.