how much nitrogen is in the air
Most of the air around you is nitrogen: dry air is about 78% nitrogen by volume (more precisely about 78.08%).
Quick Scoop: How much nitrogen is in the air?
- Dry air is about 78% nitrogen.
- Oxygen is about 21%, and almost all the rest is argon and trace gases like carbon dioxide.
- These percentages are very stable in the lower atmosphere, so wherever you go on Earth’s surface, the air is mostly nitrogen.
If you imagine a balloon filled with air, out of every 100 “parts” of gas inside it, roughly 78 are nitrogen, 21 are oxygen, and only about 1 is everything else.
Mini fact table (dry air)
| Gas | Approx. percentage by volume |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N₂) | 78% (≈78.08% in dry air) | [1][5][3]
| Oxygen (O₂) | 21% (≈20.95%) | [5][3]
| Argon (Ar) | 0.93% | [3][5]
| Carbon dioxide (CO₂) | ≈0.04% (and slowly rising) | [5][3]
Even though nitrogen is the “quiet” gas that doesn’t react much, it completely dominates our atmosphere and has done so for a very long time.
TL;DR: Air is roughly 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and about 1% other gases.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
