For a start the density of oxygen is higher than nitrogen. Secondly
gravity is not strong enough to overcome the zipping around of the
molecules of gas that naturally mix together due to thermal energy
(temperature). It takes a lot of effort and processing to separate
atmospheric gasses (see the price of liquid oxgen).
The top 5 components of dry air are nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), argon
(0.9%), carbon dioxide (0.04%) and neon (0.002%). With tiny amounts of
methane, krypton, hydrogen and nitrous oxide. Moist air has varying
amounts of water vapor depending on the humidity (the same thing really).
Robert C
On 6/12/12 10:44 AM, Nicholas Thompson wrote:
So, somebody asked me, in my role as a weather nerd, how come the
nitrogen in the atmosphere doesn't all fall to the bottom on still
nights and suffocate us all. I asked the question of
stupid-answers-to-stupid-questions-asked-by-stupid-people.com and THEY
said, well, there's just too much going on. N molecules and the O
molecules are just too busy, what with convection and windcurrents,
and all, to separate, even on still nights. Now, that business
doesn't prevent cold molecules of Nitrogen and Oxygen to separate
from warm ones, or wet ones (not sure what that means) to separate
from dry ones. I was hoping that somebody on FRIAM could give some
sort of a clue what kind of a mixture AIR is? It is suddenly seeming
kinda special.
Nicholas S. Thompson
Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology
Clark University
http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/
<http://home.earthlink.net/%7Enickthompson/naturaldesigns/>
http://www.cusf.org <http://www.cusf.org/>
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Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
