How would life be different if the atmosphere were 80 percent oxygen and 20 percent nitrogen instead of the other way around?

Answer 1

Animal bodies rely on a different number of gases in the air to survive, not only oxygen. However, if the atmosphere had too much oxygen in it, then animals would most likely be deprived of the other gases and inhale mostly oxygen; pure oxygen can, in fact, be harmful to the body and cause damage. Some animals could survive in such an oxygen-rich atmosphere, but not that many.

On the physics side of things, in an atmosphere comprised mostly of oxygen, even a single spark could trigger an enormous explosion. This was the case in the Carboniferous era, where the level of oxygen was approximately 163% of the current levels.

Answer 2

All plant life will cease to exist because they thrive on carbon dioxide. However, if the atomosphere only consist of oxygen than no animals exist because when they breath the exhale carbon dioxide. So basically there is no life.

Plus pure oxygen is highly flammable so the first metorite to come flying through the atmosphere would ignite it and you would have a fire planet.

Answer 3

If the atmosphere had always been pure oxygen, life as we know it would never have developed. If the atmosphere suddenly became pure oxygen, wild fires would rage throughout the world, and most plants and animals would die in a short time.

Answer 4

If the atmosphere was made up of 100% Oxygen Our skin would turn to liquid

Answer 5

If the Earth were 100% oxygen, then there would not be enough gravity to hold it together; all the oxygen would be blown into space by the solar wind.

Answer 6

We would freeze to death. Oxygen is not a greenhouse gas so it is not able to hold the heat rising from the surface of the earth. We need greenhouse gases for this.

Answer 7

hey