Interesting facts about air
1. We are taught in school that we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. While this is relatively true, precious oxygen is only part of the air mixture.
The average oxygen content in the air is 21%. This amount is quite enough to maintain our performance. As for the dominant element in it, it is nitrogen. It accounts for up to 78%. The rest is made up of other gases such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen, argon, etc.
In addition to gases, it also contains aerosols. Some are naturally present (e.g. dust, pollen, etc.) while others are introduced by human activities (e.g. smoke from cars, power plants, etc.).
2. According to WHO, at least 9 out of 10 people in the world live in places with very dirty air. Global pollution of the most important source of life for humans is caused by the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity, as well as emissions from cars running on gasoline, diesel.
Rich and developed countries make a significant contribution to the fight against harmful emissions into the environment, but this is still not enough. Today, the number of deaths caused by long-term exposure to polluted air is approximately equal to the number of deaths caused by smoking.
3. Many people believe that the air is dirtier on the street than in the house. But it's not true. In fact, the air is dirtier in the house. The thing is that its basis in the room is the same air from the street. However, unlike the street, where it is constantly renewed, in a small room it is renewed more slowly (or not at all). Plus, it contains a lot of dust.
4. Although the air has neither odor nor color, it actually has its own mass. The weight of one liter of air will be equal to 1.2930 grams, subject to the following conditions: pressure 760 mm Hg and temperature - 0 degrees Celsius.
5. Under normal conditions, the volume of air inhaled or exhaled by an adult during one respiratory cycle is about 500 ml. At the same time, the respiratory rate of a person in the waking state is in the region of 16-20 breaths per minute (during sleep, about 12). If we multiply all this, we will get the following data: a person inhales about 8 liters of air per minute, or 11,500 liters per day.
And now just compare it with 2 liters of water a person needs per day or 600-700 grams of food that an average person eats per day.
6. The air changes as you go higher and higher into the atmosphere. It becomes "rarified" as it rises to higher altitudes, as there are fewer oxygen molecules. Climbers often have to use oxygen tanks during their ascents if they climb above 3800 meters above sea level. High mountains, such as Mount Everest (8,848 meters), are completely littered with empty oxygen tanks that climbers throw away when they are used up.
7. It is one of the four classical elements, along with water, earth and fire in ancient Greek philosophy and Western alchemy.
8. High in the stratosphere, one of the layers of the Earth, there is a special molecule in the air called ozone. Ozone is made up of three oxygen atoms. The massive accumulation of these molecules is called the ozone layer. It prevents ultraviolet rays from entering, which allows the Sun to cause less damage to living creatures on our planet.
9. At an altitude of 10,000 meters, the air is much discharged, and a person simply cannot breathe there. But as we know, planes fly exactly at this altitude. Then the question arises, how do people breathe in the cabin of an aircraft if it flies at an altitude of 10 km?
The plane has a special system that turns the air at an altitude of 10,000 meters into normal, familiar air for humans. This system takes the air overboard, compresses it (due to which the density of oxygen in its composition increases) and delivers part to the engine, and part to the passenger compartment. When compressed, it heats up, but it enters the cabin cold, as it first passes through the turbo-cooler.
10. The air around us is in continuous motion. This movement of air masses is felt by a person as wind.
The main reason for its movement is the pressure drops in the layers, of which there are several on our planet. When the air in one layer is heated, it rises. The "empty space" formed after his "leaving" is trying to replace the "cold air", which has higher pressure. This results in winds.
Without the movement of air masses in the atmosphere, life on Earth would be impossible. After all, then the reproduction of plants would have worsened or completely stopped. The flow of air also allows clouds to move and carry water around the planet, which is vital for all life on Earth.
When we are asked about things that are important to us, what is the first thing that comes to mind? At the very top of the list are food, water, and air (more specifically, oxygen). And it is the air of these three mentioned "things" that is the most important for a person.
A person can live without food for many days. We can live without water for several days. But without air, in which oxygen is vital for us – sometimes we can not live even a couple of minutes. This makes it the most important in human life, despite the fact that it is absolutely free.
The air we breathe not only helps us stay alive, but also determines the quality of our lives. In this article we have prepared the most interesting facts about the air.
