104 Gases in Your World-Low

Gases in Your World FOCUS Question How do people use gases in their daily lives?

Groups of Gases You may not know it, but gases are very important in your life. You use them in your home. Factories use them to make things you need. You breathe in gases to stay alive! There are many different kinds of gases. Some gases are stable. That means they don't change when mixed with other gases. Some gases are less stable. These gases may combine with other gases to form new mixtures. Some gases give off light. Some burn well. The properties of a gas help people decide how to use it.

Noble Gases Neon is a kind of gas. It belongs to a group called the noble gases. These gases are very stable. Neon gives off the bright, colorful light you see in some signs. Neon is also used to help create the light in many lasers. Argon is also a noble gas. People use it between double-paned windows. It blocks noise and keeps frost from forming on the glass. Welders use argon, too. When it gets very hot, it connects pieces of metal.

Breathe It In Oxygen is not a noble gas. It can easily mix with other substances. We need oxygen to live. It makes up about twenty-one percent of the air we breathe. People use oxygen for many things Scuba divers use tanks filled with air, which includes oxygen and other gases. On very high mountains, the air has less oxygen, so some climbers bring oxygen tanks. This gas also helps people who can't breathe well. They can use tanks to get the oxygen they need.

Breathe It Out Oxygen combines with carbon to make a new kind of gas. This gas is called carbon dioxide When we breathe out we give off carbon dioxide. Most animals give off this gas when they breathe out. Plants need this gas to produce the sugars they use for energy. So plants take in carbon dioxide. People use carbon dioxide in fire extinguishers. This gas is good for putting out fires. Fire needs oxygen to burn. Carbon dioxide keeps a fire from getting oxygen. Carbon dioxide is also in soda. It causes these liquids to have bubbles.

Necessary Nitrogen Nitrogen is another kind of gas. It makes up 78 percent of the air we breathe. This gas is useful to people in many ways. In its liquid form, it is very cold. We use liquid nitrogen to keep food cold. It is also used in some computers to keep the parts from getting too hot. Nitrogen helps X-ray machines stay cool. Then doctors get clearer pictures. Oil factories prepare the gasoline we use. They use nitrogen to keep oxygen out of pipes. Oxygen can explode, but nitrogen is stable. Using nitrogen makes it safer to move the gasoline.