What is Air?

KEY IDEAS

  • Air takes up space
  • Air is a mixture of gases
  • Air is all around us

EXAMPLE QUESTIONS

  • What do you think air is?
  • How can you tell air is present?
  • Is there air in an empty glass?

AIR IS A MIXTURE OF INVISIBLE GASES

  • Air is all around us.
  • It is an invisible mixture of gases, and it takes up space.
  • (An Empty drinking glass is not really empty; it is full of air).
  • Air, or any gas, consists of tiny moving particles, called molecules.

AIR TAKES THE SHAPE OF CONTAINERS

  • Air takes the shape of the container that holds it.
  • Balloons and bubbles have captured air inside them.
  • Inflatables maintain their shape because of the air inside them.
  • Molecules of the gases, that make up air, move around independently of each other throughout all the available space.