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January 1
2012
Air is one of the four classical elements air, water, earth, and fire.
AIR
a) Air means Earth's atmosphere. It is the clear gas we live in and breathe in. It has an indefinite shape and volume. It has no color or smell. It has mass and weight. It is a matter as it has mass and weight. Air creates atmosphere pressure. There is no air in the vacuum and cosmos.
b) Air is a mixture of 78.03% nitrogen, 20.99% oxygen, 0.94% argon, 0.03% carbon dioxide, 0.01% hydrogen,
c) Humans need the oxygen in the air to live. In the human body, the lungs give oxygen to the blood, and give back carbon dioxide to the air. Plants and animals also need air to live: it is very important to everyone.
e) Aircraft use propellers to move air over a wing, which allows them to fly.
1)ALTITUDE
Air density is less at higher altitudes and more at lower altitudes. High barometric pressure draws air molecules close together, resulting in more mass per unit volume of air. Therefore, with an increase in pressure, air density increases as well. This is the reason
mountaineers are recommended to take some additional oxygen cylinders with them while climbing mountains. As air density decreases with altitude, the concentration of oxygen also starts dropping at higher altitudes.
2)Temperature
3)Humidity - Although the effect of humidity on air density is not as much as that of temperature and pressure, it does
affect air density. Air density decreases with an increase in the moisture content of the air. Regardless of the types of molecules present in the air, the total number of molecules is always constant; therefore, an increase in humidity causes water molecules (H20) to increase at the expense of oxygen and nitrogen. But the molecular weight of oxygen and nitrogen is greater than the molecular weight of water, and this is the reason why an increase in humidity forces the air density to decrease. 4) Ideal Gas Law
- Ideal gas law is used to measure the density of dry gas. Ideal gas law is based on the hypothetical ideal gas and has its own equation of state. Although the ideal gas law is very useful in correctly determining the air density in many different conditions, it has some limitations as well. Ideal gas law implies that three major factors are largely responsible for changes in air density: temperature, pressure, and humidity.
5) Significance - Air density plays an important role in aeronautics and space science. For
example, it is crucial to measure air density exactly before launching a rocket into outer space. A wrong calculation can even lead to a wrong trajectory or an explosion. Air density is also important for airplanes. Even automobile and motor bike racers take account of air density before starting their races.
THE END.