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Why does earth have more nitrogen than oxygen in its atmosphere?
Wiki User
∙ 7y ago
The atmosphere of Earth today is not the atmosphere that the planet started out with, the atmosphere has been produced by the biosphere of the planet.
Originally the atmosphere was made of hydrocarbons, Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen. Living things (using photosynthesis) have changed this by using the Carbon Dioxide to make sugars and releasing Oxygen as a waste product. The free Oxygen then got into chemical processes with minerals in the Oceans to make Iron ores and slowly the Ocean and atmosphere changed to include free Oxygen.
Nitrogen is very inert and while it is slightly involved in life processes its proportion was unchanged by life. Therefore the composition of the atmosphere is a changing dynamic balance resulting from the nitrogen, and carbon cycles of the planet.
Wiki User
∙ 7y ago
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What substance does earth contain more of?
Nitrogen Well, Oxygen is the most abundant element on earth if you include the Air, Water and Land. Oxygen makes up 50% of the earth. But Nitrogen is contained most in the air (atmosphere), making 78% of the air.
What is an oxygen enriched environment?
Air is the mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth. The composition of the earth's atmosphere varies with altitude, but at sea level contains approximately 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen by volume.An oxygen-deficient atmosphere contains less than 19.5% oxygen by volume.An oxygen-enriched atmosphere contains more than 23.5% oxygen by volume.
Is there more nitrogen or carbon dioxide in earth's atmosphere?
There is much more nitrogen in earth's atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Nitrogen forms about 79%, while carbon dioxide makes up about 0.04%.
What is the percent composition of gases that make up the Earth's atmosphere?
Earth's atmosphere is made up of 78-percent nitrogen, 21-percent oxygen, 0.93-percent argon, and 0.028-percent carbon dioxide. The earth's atmosphere is a very thin layer of these combined gases wrapped around the planet.
Is nitrogen a bad gas to breath?
nitrogen makes up most of our atmosphere so i should hope it's not bad to breath it. it's purpose is to dilute the oxygen in our atmosphere. things would be more flammable if the nitrogen wasn't there
Does the atmosphere have more nitrogen or oxygen in it?
Nitrogen is more in the atmosphere. Around 78% of the atmosphere is nitrogen gas and 21% is oxygen gas.
Why is the atmosphere 78 percent nitrogen and only 21 percent oxygen?
There is no such planet in our solar system. Perhaps you meant the atmosphere of the planet. The Earth has an atmosphere that's mainly nitrogen
What is more abundant in the atmosphere oxygen or Nitrogen?
Nitrogen
Which makes up more of the atmosphere Nitrogen or Oxygen?
Nitrogen
Ninety nine percent of atmosphere is composed of what?
The nitrogen and oxygen in Earth's atmosphere together account for a speck more than 99% of it..
What gas is more abundant nitrogen or oxygen?
In the atmosphere, Nitrogen is about four times as common as is Oxygen.
What is the most abundant of nitrogen and oxygen?
Nitrogen is more abundant; our atmosphere is 78% Nitrogen.
Which planet's atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and oxygen?
Earth's atmosphere is mostly made up of nitrogen and oxygen; but the planet itself is more than just its atmosphere - overall Earth, like other terrestrial planets, is mostly made from rock (silicates) with a nickel-iron core. (By comparison, overall the outer gas planets are mostly made from hydrogen and helium.) By relative abundance, oxygen is also the most common element in the Earth's crust.
What substance does earth contain more of?
Nitrogen Well, Oxygen is the most abundant element on earth if you include the Air, Water and Land. Oxygen makes up 50% of the earth. But Nitrogen is contained most in the air (atmosphere), making 78% of the air.
Can we breathe in nitrogen?
Nitrogen is the most common gas in the earth's atmosphere making up 78% a little more than 3 quarters which oxygen makes up 21% of the earth's atmosphere. We can't drink liquid nitrogen but we can breath in nitrogen. Nitrogen isn't an air pollution nor a greenhouse gas. So the answer is "yes", we can breathe in nitrogen.
What is an oxygen enriched environment?
Air is the mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth. The composition of the earth's atmosphere varies with altitude, but at sea level contains approximately 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen by volume.An oxygen-deficient atmosphere contains less than 19.5% oxygen by volume.An oxygen-enriched atmosphere contains more than 23.5% oxygen by volume.
Is there more nitrogen or carbon dioxide in earth's atmosphere?
There is much more nitrogen in earth's atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Nitrogen forms about 79%, while carbon dioxide makes up about 0.04%.
