What’s in air—and why it matters.
The three pictures above were taken on the same airplane ride. What do you notice? I took the first picture just outside Kathmandu, Nepal. The air is thick with dust. The second picture has a view of the Himalayas, the mountain range including the tallest peak in the world, Everest. The air is clear, and you can see the blue sky. In the third picture, outside Delhi, India, pollution fills the air.
How does the air look outside your window today?
The Chemistry of Air
Air is useful, especially if you like breathing. Air contains the oxygen (O2) we need. However, air is only 21 percent oxygen. Much of the rest of air—78 percent—is nitrogen (N2). Most nitrogen remains in the air. A small amount changes to different forms and goes from the air to the soil. Nitrogen is important. Plants need it to produce proteins. Animals and humans eat these plants. However, too much nitrogen is considered pollution. Human actions can unbalance levels in the environment. Farmers treat crops with nitrogen-based fertilizers. Burning wood or coal releases nitrogen into the air.
Air contains some carbon dioxide (CO2) too. Humans and animals breathe the gas out. The process of burning carbon-containing materials in the presence of oxygen also produces carbon dioxide.
This story is from the September 2018 edition of Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
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This story is from the September 2018 edition of Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Who's Your Cousin?
The great apes are among the most popular animals in most zoos. Their actions, facial expressions, and family life remind us so much of ourselves. Have you ever wondered, though, how we might look to them?
Is it possible to die of boredom?
To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, we called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL
Palm oil is all around you. It’s in sugary snacks like cookies and candy bars. It’s in lipstick and shampoo and pet food.
SERGE WICH
Serge Wich’s favorite days at work are spent out in the forest, studying orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo or chimpanzees in Tanzania.
ELODIE FREYMANN
When you’re feeling sick, it probably doesn’t occur to you to try eating tree bark.
Guardians of the Forest
EARLY, MAKESHIFT WILDLIFE DRONES HELPED TO DETECT AND PROTECT ORANGUTANS.
APE ANTICS
The Whirling World of primate play
Dr. Ape Will See You Now
HUMANS AREN’T THE ONLY PRIMATES THAT USE MEDICATION.
THE LEFT OVERS
A lot has happened for modern humans to get to this point. We lost most of our hair, learned how to make tools, established civilizations, sent a person to the Moon, and invented artificial intelligence. Whew! With all of these changes, our bodies have changed, too. It’s only taken us about six million years.
SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?
What do you have in common with the aye-aye, sifaka, siamang, and potto? If you said your collarbone, you re probably a primatologist—a person who studies primates. If you’re not, read on.
