Chapter 5: Air and Atmosphere - Question Bank & Solutions
I. Concepts Understood
• Atmosphere: The thick envelope of air surrounding the Earth. It extends up to
several hundred kilometers above the Earth's surface and is held in place by the
Earth's gravity.
• Composition of Air: Air is not a single substance but a mixture of several gases.
o Nitrogen: ~78%
o Oxygen: ~21%
o Carbon dioxide: ~0.03%
o Inert gases (mainly Argon), water vapor, and dust particles make up the
remaining small fraction.
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• Importance of Air Components:
o Oxygen: The active component of air. It is essential for respiration in all
living beings and is absolutely necessary for combustion (burning).
o Nitrogen: The inactive component. It dilutes the activity of oxygen
(preventing things from burning too rapidly) and is vital for plant growth
(plants absorb it from the soil through nitrogen-fixing bacteria).
o Carbon dioxide: Essential for plants to make their food through
photosynthesis. It also traps the sun's heat, keeping the Earth warm.
• Air Pollution: The contamination of air by harmful substances (like carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide, smoke, and dust) which adversely affects living
organisms and the environment.
II. Objective Questions
A. Fill in the blanks:
1. The thick blanket of air surrounding the Earth is called the atmosphere.
2. The most abundant gas in the air is nitrogen.
3. The gas essential for burning and respiration is oxygen.
4. Plants use carbon dioxide gas from the air to prepare their food.
5. Air contains water vapor, the amount of which varies from place to place.
6. The process of burning a substance in the presence of oxygen is called
combustion.
7. Moving air is called wind.
8. The addition of harmful substances to the air is called air pollution.
B. Write True or False: 9. Air is a compound. (False - Air is a mixture) 10. The
composition of air is exactly the same everywhere on Earth. (False - It varies slightly
depending on location and altitude) 11. Aquatic animals breathe the oxygen dissolved
in water. (True) 12. Nitrogen supports combustion. (False - Nitrogen neither burns nor
supports burning) 13. Dust particles are always present in the air. (True)
C. Choose the correct option (MCQs): 14. The percentage of oxygen in the air is
approximately: a) 78% b) 21% c) 1% d) 0.03% Answer: b) 21% 15. Which of the following
gases is responsible for the process of photosynthesis? a) Oxygen b) Nitrogen c) Carbon
dioxide d) Argon Answer: c) Carbon dioxide 16. Which gas protects us from the harmful
ultraviolet rays of the sun? a) Ozone b) Nitrogen c) Carbon dioxide d) Hydrogen Answer:
a) Ozone 17. The component of air that turns lime water milky is: a) Oxygen b) Nitrogen
c) Carbon dioxide d) Water vapor Answer: c) Carbon dioxide
III. Short & Long Answer Questions
1. Define the atmosphere. Why is it important? Answer: The atmosphere is the
envelope of air that surrounds the Earth. It is important because:
1. It provides the oxygen required by all living beings for respiration.
2. It provides carbon dioxide to plants for photosynthesis.
3. It protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
4. It regulates the Earth's temperature, preventing it from becoming too hot during
the day or too cold at night.
2. State the composition of air. Answer: Air is a mixture of gases consisting primarily
of Nitrogen (about 78%), Oxygen (about 21%), Carbon dioxide (about 0.03%), and small
amounts of inert gases (like argon), water vapor, and dust particles.
3. State three uses of Oxygen. Answer: 1) Essential for the respiration of all plants and
animals. 2) Necessary for the combustion (burning) of fuels. 3) Used in hospitals
(oxygen cylinders) for patients with breathing difficulties.
4. State two uses of Nitrogen. Answer: 1) It dilutes the activity of oxygen in the air,
preventing rapid and uncontrollable burning. 2) It is used by plants to synthesize
proteins, which are essential for their growth.
5. How do fish and other aquatic animals breathe? Answer: Aquatic animals like fish
breathe using the oxygen that is dissolved in the water. They have special organs called
gills that extract this dissolved oxygen for respiration.
6. Describe a simple experiment to prove that air supports burning. Answer: Fix a
candle on a table and light it. Place a glass tumbler inverted over the burning candle.
After a short while, the candle flame flickers and goes out. This happens because the
candle uses up all the oxygen inside the glass for burning. Once the oxygen is
exhausted, the burning stops. This proves that oxygen in the air is essential for
combustion.
IV. Additional Questions & Give Reasons
1. Give Reason: Why is air considered a mixture and not a compound? Answer: Air is
considered a mixture because:
1. Its constituent gases (nitrogen, oxygen, etc.) retain their individual properties.
2. The gases can be separated by physical methods (like fractional distillation of
liquid air).
3. The composition of air is not strictly fixed and varies slightly from place to place.
2. Give Reason: Why do deep-sea divers and mountaineers carry oxygen cylinders
with them? Answer: * Mountaineers: As we go higher up a mountain, the atmosphere
becomes thinner and the amount of oxygen in the air decreases, making it difficult to
breathe.
• Divers: Humans do not have gills to extract dissolved oxygen from water.
Therefore, both carry oxygen cylinders to ensure a continuous supply of oxygen
for respiration.
3. Give Reason: During winter mornings, we often see fog. Why? Answer: During
cold winter mornings, the temperature of the air near the ground drops significantly. The
water vapor present in the air condenses on dust particles to form tiny droplets of water,
which remain suspended in the air, creating a thick, cloud-like formation called fog.
4. Name two major sources of air pollution. Answer: 1) Smoke and harmful gases
emitted from factory chimneys. 2) Exhaust fumes (containing carbon monoxide and
nitrogen oxides) released by cars and other vehicles.