Question
The least abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere is
The correct answer is
carbon dioxide
Atmospheric Gas Abundance: Identifying the Least Common
The Earth's atmosphere is primarily composed of Nitrogen ($N_2$) and Oxygen ($O_2$). Other gases like Argon ($Ar$) and Carbon Dioxide ($CO_2$) are present in much smaller quantities. Understanding the relative abundance helps identify the least common gas among the choices.
The approximate composition percentages are:
| Gas | Chemical Formula | Approximate Percentage by Volume |
| Nitrogen | $N_2$ | 78.08% |
| Oxygen | $O_2$ | 20.95% |
| Argon | $Ar$ | 0.93% |
| Carbon Dioxide | $CO_2$ | 0.04% |
Reasoning for Least Abundant Gas
Comparing the percentages listed above:
- Nitrogen ($N_2$) is the most abundant.
- Oxygen ($O_2$) is the second most abundant.
- Argon ($Ar$) is significantly less abundant than Nitrogen and Oxygen.
- Carbon Dioxide ($CO_2$) has the lowest percentage among these four major components.
Therefore, Carbon Dioxide ($CO_2$) is the least abundant gas among the given options in the Earth's atmosphere.
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Important Questions from Principles Of Stratigraphy
- Which one of the following molecules is the most buoyant in the atmosphere?
- In which set of the following atmospheric layers, the temperature increases with altitude?
- One of the following concepts is best summarized by the phrase "the present is the key to the past"
In the above diagram, A, B and C represent, respectively, the tropospheric concentrations of
- Oxygen atom required to form tropospheric ozone comes from
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