Discover how much nitrogen, oxygen, water vapour, carbon dioxide, and other elements constitute Earth's air

NARRATOR: What is the atmosphere made of? The atmosphere, the gaseous envelope that surrounds the Earth, has many components. Nitrogen comprises the greatest part of the atmosphere, at almost 80 percent by volume. Nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that reacts very little with other substances. The atmosphere also contains oxygen, at about 20 percent. Without this gas nothing could burn and most living things would perish. The atmosphere contains small amounts of other molecules, such as carbon dioxide, which is necessary for plant life. Tiny amounts of helium, xenon, argon, methane, and compounds of ozone also can be found in the atmosphere. Another major component is water vapor, the gaseous form of water, which sometimes condenses into clouds. Taken together, all of these ingredients simply can be called air.