✩

Background knowledge
Name that gas!
Air is a mixture of gases. The main gases in air are nitrogen and oxygen.
There are also small amounts of other gases, including carbon dioxide, helium,
and argon. Each of these gases has different properties that are useful to us in
different ways. They can be separated from each other by cooling because each
one condenses at a different temperature. Condensation is the phase change by
which matter changes from a gas to a liquid.

Science activity
The properties of some of the gases in air are listed below. A chemically
reactive gas can react with other substances to form new substances. For
example, oxygen is chemically reactive; it causes iron to rust.
Gas Properties
oxygen chemically reactive; necessary for burning, and
for living things to respire (use food for energy)
carbon chemically reactive; extinguishes flames; quite a dense
dioxide (heavy) gas; needed by plants for photosynthesis
argon not chemically reactive (inert)
Decide which gas should be used in each of the following cases.
Filling cylinders to help Filling fire Filling light bulbs so
people with lung disease extinguishers that the filament does
breathe more easily not react chemically

Helium is an inert gas. It is used to fill balloons to make them buoyant. What
happens when you let go of a balloon? What does this tell you about helium?

Science investigation
Fill three separate balloons with helium, air, and
carbon dioxide. You can fill a balloon with carbon
dioxide by placing it over a freshly opened bottle of seltzer
(carbonated) water and letting it sit a few minutes
until it inflates. Design and conduct an experiment
to test differences in the density of these gases.

44

© Dorling Kindersley Limited [2010]

44 ✩ Background knowledge
Name that gas! 4
Air is a mixture of gases. The main gases in air are nitrogen and oxygen.
There are also small amounts of other gases, including carbon dioxide, helium,
and argon. Each of these gases has different properties that are useful to us in
different ways. They can be separated from each other by cooling because each
one condenses at a different temperature. Condensation is the phase change by
which matter changes from a gas to a liquid.

Science activity
The properties of some of the gases in air are listed below. A chemically
reactive gas can react with other substances to form new substances. For
example, oxygen is chemically reactive; it causes iron to rust.
Gas Properties
oxygen chemically reactive; necessary for burning, and
for living things to respire (use food for energy)
carbon chemically reactive; extinguishes flames; quite a dense
dioxide (heavy) gas; needed by plants for photosynthesis
argon not chemically reactive (inert)
Decide which gas should be used in each of the following cases.
Filling cylinders to help Filling fire Filling light bulbs so
people with lung disease extinguishers that the filament does
breathe more easily not react chemically
oxygen carbon dioxide argon
Helium is an inert gas. It is used to fill balloons to make them buoyant. What
happens when you let go of a balloon? What does this tell you about helium?
The balloons float in air because they are less dense than the air.
Science investigation
Make sure the type and volume of the inflated balloons
are the same. The child can time how long it takes for
each balloon to rise to the ceiling. The faster balloon
will be the least dense (most buoyant).

Make sure the type and volume of the inflated balloons

are the same. The childKindersley
© Dorling can time how long it takes for
Limited [2010]

each balloon to rise to the ceiling. The faster balloon