ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Aër

Have you ever been outside on a really hot day and seen the wavy lines in the air? That's called aërial distortion. But have you ever wondered what that wavy air is made of? It's made of something called aër, which is a fancy word for the air all around us.

Aër is all the gases that make up the Earth's atmosphere, including oxygen, nitrogen, and tiny amounts of other gases like carbon dioxide. These gases all mix together in the air around us, and they are very important to our earth.

We breathe in aër to fill our lungs with oxygen, which our body needs to stay alive. And the aër plays a big role in the weather, too. When the aër gets warm, it rises and makes clouds that can turn into rain or snow. When the aër gets cold, it sinks and can create windy weather.

So even though the aër might seem invisible and not very exciting, it plays a huge role in our lives every day!
Related topics others have asked about: