Air Around Us Class 6 Notes – Quick Revision
Air is the mixture of gases surrounding us and forming Earth’s atmosphere. Dry air near sea level is made up mainly of about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and roughly 1% argon, carbon dioxide and other gases. The amount of water vapour is not fixed—it changes with place, weather and humidity.
Updated for 2026–27: “Air Around Us” is the familiar title from the older Class 6 Science sequence. In the current NCERT Class VI Science book Curiosity, air is revisited in Chapter 11 – Nature’s Treasures as an essential natural resource. This page keeps the established search topic while updating the science so it remains useful for learners from different boards and countries.
| Component of air | Approximate amount in dry air | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen | 78% | Largest component; important in the nitrogen cycle and living tissues |
| Oxygen | 21% | Needed for aerobic respiration and supports combustion |
| Argon | About 0.93% | Inert gas present naturally in the atmosphere |
| Carbon dioxide | About 0.04% | Used by plants in photosynthesis and acts as a greenhouse gas |
| Water vapour | Variable | Important in humidity, clouds, rain and the water cycle |
| Other gases and particles | Very small amounts | Includes gases such as neon and particles such as dust, pollen and sea salt |
Watch & Learn: English + Hindi Video Lessons
English: What Is Air and What Is It Made Of?
This public lesson from the verified Happy Learning English channel explains what air is, what it contains and why it matters for life, photosynthesis, fire and everyday phenomena. It is suitable for a broad international audience.
हिंदी: हमारे चारों ओर वायु – वायु किससे बनी है?
यह सार्वजनिक Magnet Brains Hindi Medium वीडियो कक्षा 6 के विद्यार्थियों को वायु की संरचना, जलवाष्प, ऑक्सीजन, नाइट्रोजन, कार्बन डाइऑक्साइड तथा धूल और धुएँ के बारे में विस्तार से समझाता है।
Air Is Present All Around Us
How Can We Show That Air Is Present?
Air is present all around us. We cannot see the air around us but we can feel its presence when the leaves rustle or branches sway.
Why Air Is Important
- Humans and many other organisms use oxygen from air for aerobic respiration.
- Plants use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and also use oxygen for respiration.
- Oxygen supports combustion, although a fuel and sufficient heat are also needed for burning.
- Moving air, or wind, helps disperse seeds and pollen and can be used to generate electricity.
- The atmosphere helps regulate temperature and is part of weather and the water cycle.
What Is Air Made Of?
Air is a mixture of different gases and particles; oxygen, water vapour, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, dust and smoke.
- Air is not one substance but is a mixture.
- Air is a mixture of some gases, water vapour and dust particles.
- The gases in the air are mainly nitrogen, oxygen, a small amount of carbon dioxide and some other gases.
Water Vapour in Air
- The amount of water vapour in air changes with temperature, location and weather.
- When moist air cools enough, water vapour can condense into tiny liquid droplets. This is why droplets may form on the outside of a cold glass.
- Fog is made of tiny water droplets suspended near the ground; it does not form simply because air touches any cool surface.
- Water vapour is an important part of humidity, clouds, rain and the water cycle.
Dust, Smoke and Other Particles
Air can contain tiny solid and liquid particles such as dust, pollen, sea salt, smoke and droplets. Their amount changes with weather, location and human activity. Some particles are natural, while others are pollutants that can affect health and visibility.
Oxygen
- Oxygen makes up about 21% of dry air.
- Humans, many animals, plants and numerous microorganisms use oxygen in aerobic respiration to release energy from food.
- Oxygen supports combustion, but oxygen itself is not a fuel.
- Some microorganisms can live without oxygen, so it is more accurate to say that oxygen is essential for many forms of life rather than every living organism.
Nitrogen
- Nitrogen forms about 78% of dry air, making it the largest atmospheric component.
- Nitrogen gas does not support ordinary combustion.
- Living organisms need nitrogen to make proteins and nucleic acids, but most plants cannot use atmospheric nitrogen gas directly. Nitrogen-fixing microorganisms help convert it into usable compounds.
Carbon Dioxide
- Carbon dioxide is present in air in a small amount—currently a little over 0.04% globally, and the exact concentration changes over time and place.
- Plants use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis to make sugars.
- Humans and many other organisms release carbon dioxide during respiration.
- Complete burning of many carbon-containing fuels produces carbon dioxide, while incomplete combustion can also produce pollutants such as carbon monoxide and soot.
- At unusually high concentrations, carbon dioxide can be dangerous because it can displace oxygen, but normal outdoor air contains only a small amount.
The Atmosphere
- The atmosphere is the envelope of gases surrounding Earth.
- It extends far above the surface, but most atmospheric mass is concentrated relatively close to Earth.
- Air pressure and density generally decrease as altitude increases.
- Most everyday weather—including clouds, rain, thunderstorms and winds—occurs in the lowest layer, the troposphere.
- The atmosphere also helps regulate temperature and protects life from much harmful solar radiation.
How Do Living Things Get Oxygen?
Plants
Plants exchange gases with their surroundings. Leaves commonly have tiny pores called stomata, while stems and roots also exchange gases in different ways. Carbon dioxide is used in photosynthesis, while oxygen is used in cellular respiration.
Animals in Water and on Land
Animals use different respiratory structures. Fish take dissolved oxygen from water mainly through gills. Whales and dolphins are mammals, so they must surface to breathe atmospheric air with lungs. Insects such as cockroaches use openings called spiracles connected to air tubes.
Frogs can use lungs on land and can also exchange gases through their moist skin. Earthworms also exchange gases through moist skin. Birds have lungs connected to air sacs that help maintain efficient airflow during breathing, especially during flight.
Air in Soil and Water
Soil contains spaces between particles that can hold air, which is important for roots and many soil organisms. Water also contains dissolved oxygen. Its amount can change with temperature, movement, pollution and biological activity.
How Is Atmospheric Oxygen Replenished?
Photosynthesis is the main biological process that adds oxygen to the atmosphere. Green plants, algae and some microorganisms use light energy to make food from carbon dioxide and water, releasing oxygen. Respiration, decomposition and combustion use oxygen and return carbon dioxide and other products to the environment. These processes are connected through the carbon and oxygen cycles.
5-Minute Air Experiments
- Upside-down glass: Push an empty glass straight down into a bowl of water. Water does not completely fill the glass because air occupies space.
- Balloon test: Inflate a balloon and compare it with an uninflated one to discuss how air occupies space and adds mass.
- Cold glass observation: Place a cold glass in humid air and observe droplets forming outside. The water comes from water vapour in the surrounding air.
- Wind detector: Make a paper pinwheel and observe how moving air transfers energy and makes it rotate.
Safety: Do not perform flame experiments without an adult or teacher. Never burn materials indoors just to test the role of oxygen.
Quick Revision Checklist
- I can name the main gases in dry air.
- I can explain why water vapour is variable.
- I know the difference between air and the atmosphere.
- I can explain how fish, insects, birds and mammals obtain oxygen.
- I can explain how photosynthesis helps replenish atmospheric oxygen.
- I can give examples of air pollution and ways to reduce it.
Quick Self-Test
- Which gas forms the largest part of dry air?
- Why is water vapour not given one fixed percentage in air?
- How do fish obtain oxygen?
- Which process releases much of the oxygen added biologically to the atmosphere?
- What is the difference between air and wind?
Answers: (1) Nitrogen. (2) Its amount changes with humidity, temperature and place. (3) Mainly through gills that take dissolved oxygen from water. (4) Photosynthesis. (5) Air is the mixture of gases around us; wind is air in motion.
Air Around Us FAQs
What is air for Class 6?
Air is a mixture of gases surrounding Earth. It also contains variable water vapour and tiny suspended particles.
What is the composition of air?
Dry air is approximately 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and about 1% argon, carbon dioxide and other gases. Water vapour varies.
Is air present in water and soil?
Water can contain dissolved gases including oxygen, while soil spaces can hold air that is used by roots and soil organisms.
In the current Class VI Science textbook Curiosity, air is covered as part of Chapter 11, Nature’s Treasures. Students should follow the textbook prescribed by their own school or board for the latest sequence.
Related Class 6 Science Learning
- Air Around Us – Questions & Solutions
- Components of Food Class 6 Notes
- Living Organisms and Their Surroundings Class 6 Notes
- Water Class 6 Notes
- Electricity and Circuits Class 6 Notes
- Current NCERT Class VI Science textbook – Curiosity
Study tip: First understand the composition of air, then connect each gas to a real process—respiration, photosynthesis, combustion, weather and the water cycle. This makes the topic easier to remember than memorising percentages alone.
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