Atmospheric air is composed from gases of a widely diverging nature. On the surface of the earth, this composition is modified very little by changes in location or time, whereas, at great height, the lighter gases become prevalent. Not only do the most diverse gases determine the composition of air but also a variety of liquid or solid components present in air. Looked at chemically, air is a mixture of different permanent gases amongst which nitrogen, oxygen, argon and carbon dioxide predominate.
Components of Air| Gases | Volume % | Weight % |
|---|
| Nitrogen | 78,3 | 75,47 |
| Oxygen | 20,99 | 23,2 |
| Carbon Dioxide | 0,03 | 0,046 |
| Hydrogen | 0,01 | 0,001 |
| |
| Argon | 0,933 | 1,286 |
| Helium | 0,0005 | 0,00007 |
| Neon | 0,0018 | 0,0012 |
| Krypton | 0,0001 | 0,0003 |
| Xenon | 0,00001 | 0,00004 |
In addition to the permanent gases, air also contains water vapour in varying quantities.
