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Science 9 GTHS > 9C: Environmental Chemistry > Flashcards

9C: Environmental Chemistry Flashcards

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1
Q

True or False?

Everything around us is made up of chemicals. All chemicals are beneficial to supporting life.

A

False.

Some chemicals such as Carbon Monoxide, or Hydrogen Disulfide are harmful to most living organisms.

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2
Q

What is the nitrogen cycle?

A

The series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are moved throughout the environment and in living organisms, including nitrogen fixation and decomposition.

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3
Q

What is the composition/make up of the air around us? (What concentrations/% of each element are present roughly?)

A
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4
Q

What is nitrogen fixation?

A

Nitrogen fixation is the process by which “free” nitrogen is taken from its stable gas form (N2) in air and changes into other “fixed” nitrogen compounds (such as ammonia, nitrate and nitrogen dioxide) useful for other chemical processes.

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5
Q

What do nitrogen fixing bacteria do and why are they useful?

A

Microorganisms that are capable of transforming free nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into “fixed nitrogen” compounds, such as ammonia, that are usable by plants.

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6
Q

Where are nitrogen fixing bacteria often found?

A

They are usually located in the soil, or sometimes in the ends of the roots(root nodules) of the plant.

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7
Q

Pollution is _____.

A

Any change in the environment that produces a condition that is harmful to living things.

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8
Q

Explain what fertilizer is used for and what elements the numbers below represent (in order).

10-20-30

A

Fertilizer is any substance that enriches soil so that plants will grow/live better.

The first number (10) represents the element Nitrogen. 20 represents Phosphorus, and 30 represents Potassium. Each number represents what percentage of each element is precent.

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9
Q

What impact does Nitrogen have in regards to its inclusion in fertilzer products?

A

Nitrogen is useful for growth above the ground. Nitrogen is responsible for helping produce very green and leaft plants.

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10
Q

What impact does Phosphorus have in regards to its inclusion in fertilzer products?

A

Phosphorus is responsible for plant growth below the ground. This means that if you wanted to establish a healthy root system, flower/fruit production, or aiding a new plant to grow, a high percentage of phosphorus would be essential.

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11
Q

What impact does Potassium have in regards to its inclusion in fertilzer products?

A

Potassium is used in fertilizers for overall plant health. This usually results in stronger, more durable and healthy plants that can withstand various forces such as weather, pests, and changing conditions.

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12
Q

True or false.

Fertilizers come only in the form of naturally occuring chemicals.

A

False.

Fertilizers use both synthetic(man-made) and natural sources of chemicals.

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13
Q

Some fertilizers have a fourth number and the letter “S” which represents what?

A

The percentage of Sulfur that is present.

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14
Q

Any organism that harms people, crops, or structures is known as a __________.

A

Pest.

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15
Q

What are 3 various pesticide groups?

A

Herbicides (control weeds)

Insecticides (control insects)

Fungicides (control fungus)

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16
Q

True or False.

Insects can become resistant to pesticides so stronger onces are often developed.

A

True.

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17
Q

Solid wastes include garbage that is collected from where?

A

Households, industrial plants, commercial buildings, institutions, and construction sites.

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18
Q

Some solid wastes can be _________ or __________, but most of it is placed into landfill sites.

A

Reused or recycled.

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19
Q

Sanitary landfills use ____________ and compacted ______ to prevent chemicals from entering the soil and groundwater.

A

plastic liners and compacted clay

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20
Q

Wastewater containing dissolved and undissolved materials from your
kitchen, bathroom, and laundry is called __________.

A

Sewage

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21
Q

A septic tank is an _________ _________where
bacteria break down the organic materials before they are moved out to the soil.

A

underground container

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22
Q

Treated wastewater is also known as _________.

A

effluent

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23
Q

Water may go directly into river or lake
through large pipes called ________.

A

storm sewers

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24
Q

Coal, oil, and natural gas are called _________ because they formed from dead plants and animals.

A

Fossil fuels.

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25
Q

What does to following chemical formaula represent?

A

Fuel Combustion

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26
Q

In the chemical reaction below what substances are the reactants?

A

hydrocarbon and oxygen

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27
Q

What is a hydrocarbon?

A

Any elemental compound that contain mainly Hydrogen and Carbon.

ex: C3H8 (propane)

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28
Q

Natural gas that contains hydrogen sulfide is called ______ gas.

A

Sour gas.

If no hydrogen sulfide is present, the gas is considered “sweet.”

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29
Q

The pH number of solution indicates its acidity. It is measure of the concentration of _____________________.

A

hydrogen ions in solution.

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30
Q

An acid is ___________.

A

any compound that
dissolves in water to form solution with pH lower than 7.

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31
Q

True or Flase?

Industrial processes and fuel combustion produce large quantities of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. In the air, these chemicals dissolve in water droplets to form acids.

A

True.

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32
Q

How can we measure the pH of a substance?

A
  • universal indicator
  • cabbage juice solution/indicator
  • red/blue litmus paper
  • digital pH meters
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33
Q

The base in an antacid and the acid in your stomach react to form compounds that are less upsetting to your stomach. This acid-base
reaction is called _____________.

A

neutralization.

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34
Q

What process does the following chemcial reaction display?

A

Neutralization

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35
Q

What products are always formed in a neurtalization reaction between an acid and a base?

A

A salt(ionic compound) and water.

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36
Q

Complex molecules containing carbon are known as _________ compounds.

A

Organic
compounds.

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37
Q

Substances that do not contain carbon are called ______ compounds. Baking soda
and the mineral quartz are examples of this.

A

inorganic.

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38
Q

What are some common examples of organic compounds?

A

Common: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids

More specific: alcohols, acids, butane, oil, etc

39
Q

__________ are elements and
compounds that organisms need for living, growing, and reproducing.

A

Nutrients.

40
Q

What are the two main categories of nutrients?

A

Macronutrients and micronutrients.

41
Q

What is the differnce between a macronutrient and a micronutrient?

A

Macronutrients are required in large amounts, whewre micronutirents are usually needed in very small amounts.

42
Q

What is meant by the term optimal amounts?

A

The optimum amount of substance is the amount
that provides an organism with the best health.Too much/too little could be harmful to the organism.

43
Q

What are carbohydrates?

A

Carbohydrates are organic molecules made up of
atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. These atoms can form simple molecules, such as sugar, or large, complex molecules, such as starch,
cellulose, and glycogen.

44
Q

Fats, oils, and waxes are known as ________—compounds composed of many carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.

A

lipids

45
Q

What are some examples of lipids commonly found in plants and animals?

A

For animals, skin produces oils, and our bodies store food in the form of fat.

Plant products such as canola seeds, corn, peanuts, soybeans, walnuts, and cashews contain large amounts of oils.

46
Q

This macronutrient is used by organisms for cell
growth and repair, and as source of energy. They are the main component of enzymes. Recall that enzymes are catalysts that control chemical reactions in organisms.

A

Proteins

47
Q

Proteins are made up of ______ ______.

A

amino acids

48
Q

Nucleic acids are the largest and most complicated molecules found in living things. All cells contain two important nucleic acids

  • __________
  • __________
A
  • deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
  • ribonucleic acid (RNA)
49
Q

Diffusion is the movement of molecules from ____________________________________________________________________________.

A

an area of higher concentration to one of lower concentration.

50
Q

Provide a scientific explanation as to what is occuring in the diagram below.

A

In the picture shown previously, I believe that it is showing us the diffusion of red food colouring in water. The food colouring starts off highley concentrated and then dispers throughout the water. It represents diffusion becuase the food colouring is moving from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.

51
Q

What is osmosis??

A

Osmosis involves the movement of water molecules from an area of high to low concentration.

This movement often involves a semipermeable membrane. ***

52
Q

Explain how the following diagram represents a semi-permeable membrane?

A

In the diagram, the green particles are too big to fit through the membrane(black lines). Only the blue molecules are able to pass through the membrane.

Therefore, the membrane is selecting which substances can pass through it.

53
Q

Plants need high concentrations of some nutrients in their roots. The concentrations of these nutrients may be higher in the roots than in the water in the surrounding soil. To maintain these high concentrations, plants must move some nutrients from the soil, an area of lower concentration, into their roots. To move nutrients in this direction, plants
use process called _____________.

A

Active transport.

54
Q

What are two differences between active transport and diffusion?

A
  1. Diffusion is from an area of high concentratino to low, while active transport is low to high.
  2. Diffusion does NOT require energy, while active transport DOES.
55
Q

What is ingestion?

A

Ingestion is the process of taking food into our bodies. Food is then digested either mechanically or chemically.

56
Q

The breakdown or digestion of large organic molecules (such as carbohydrates), occurs by a process known as ___________.

A

Hydrolysis

57
Q

In the following hydrolysis equation, water is used as a reactant to breakdown starch into maltose. This is a decompsition reaction. What affect does the enzyme amylase have on the chemical reaction?

A

Because amylase is an enzyme, it is used to speed up the rate of the reaction. Therefore it will allow starch to breakdown into maltose at a quicker rate than normal.

58
Q

What is a substrate? Can you give an example of a organism and how it uses a substrate to survive?

A

A substrate is the material on which an organism moves or lives.

Some organisms are attached to their substrate. For example, the sea anemone attaches itself to rocks in intertidal zones, where the water is very turbulent. It obtains its nutrients by capturing food with its
tentacles.

59
Q

Why is bread mould considered to be an organism that uses a substrate?

A

The mould is a fungus, while the bread acts as a substrate. (See image)

60
Q

What are 5 different categories of water use (ways that we use water)

A
  • human drinking water
  • recreation such as swimming
  • livestock drinking water
  • irrigation(watering land/plants)
  • protection of aquatic life
61
Q

Scientists use organisms that live in water to help determine water quality. These organisms are known as ________ __________.

A

Biological indicators.

62
Q

What are two categories of biological indicators that can be used by scientists to test water quality?

A

Microbiological Indicators

&

Aquatic Invertebrates

63
Q

How do microscopic organisms affect help to determine water quality?

A

Microscopic organisms such as bacteria can cause serious health problems if they are present in large enough numbers. Small samples of water are
taken, and if there are too many bacteria then the water is not safe and must be treated further.

64
Q

What are invertebrates?

Can you provide an example of an invertebrate that is commonly found in an aquatic environment?

A

Invertebrates
are animals without backbones.

Those that live in water include insects,
crustaceans (such as shrimp), worms, and mollusks (such as clams).

65
Q

How are aquatic invertebrates useful in assessing water quality?

A

They are used for monitoring because different invertebrates prefer different living conditions. For example, the organisms living in stagnant pond
are different from those living in a pond with higher concentration of dissolved oxygen. Water temperature and pH can also affect the types of
organisms found in an area.

66
Q

Pure water is made up of only H2O^ molecules, but water in the environment is never completely pure. It can contain many different organic and inorganic compounds.

What are some common indicators used to assess water quality?

A
  • dissolved oxygen
  • acidity
  • pesticides
  • heavy metals
  • salts such as sodium chloride and magnesium sulfate
  • plant nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus
67
Q

The concentration of chemicals in the environment is usually measured in _______.

A

Parts per million.

One part per million means that one unit of
an element or chemical can be found in one million units of solution.

68
Q

Imagine white-water rafting down roaring river. As the water churns over and around rocks, oxygen from the air is dissolving into it. Dissolved oxygen is essential for the health of aquatic life such as fish, insects, and micro-organisms.

What does dissolved oxygen mean?

A

Basically how much oxygen gas is dissolved into a natural water source.

69
Q

What are 4 things that the level of dissolved oxygen depends on/is affected by?

A
  • temperature
  • turbulence due to wind or the speed of moving water
  • the amount of photosynthesis by plants and algae in the water
  • the number of organisms using up the oxygen
70
Q

How do phosphorus and nitrogen affect water quality?

A

Higher concentrations of these elements will:

  1. increased growth of algae/plants (blocks sun/plants compete for food and die)
  2. more dead and decaying matter from dead plants
  3. increased number of bacteria and decomposers
  4. reduction of dissolved oxygen content (used by bacteria)
  5. most organisms die due to lack of oxygen
71
Q

What is spring acid shock?

A

A sudden increase in the level of acidity of surface waters (lakes, streams, and rivers) that is caused by the melting of snow that has accumulated through the winter, and stored acidic precipitation.

An acid shock can cause significant damage to freshwater species and habitats.

72
Q

What causes an increase in the pH of precipitation?

A
  • CO2 from the air is dissolved into precipitation. This results in a normal pH of 5.6
  • Sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen oxides from industrial processes move into the water cycle and increase the pH of precipitation beyond its normal range (makes it lower/more acidic)
73
Q

At what pH do most fish dissapear in an aquatic ecosystem?

A

4.5

***Some organisms can still survive in this acidic condition

74
Q

One pesticide at very low concentration might not be harmful. However, several pesticides together might mix to form much more toxic or poisonous substance. Scientists are researching ways to predict the toxicity of combinations of substances in bodies of water.

What does the term toxicity refer to?

A

Toxicity refers to how poisonous a substance is.

75
Q

How do scientists us the measurement known as LD50 to compare toxins and understand toxicity levels?

A
  • LD stands for “lethal dose”*
  • 50 represents 50%*

Therefore LD50 is a measurement of how much of a substance it takes to cause 50% of a group of test animals to die.

76
Q

What determines if a metal is known as a heavy metal?

A

they are called heavy metals because the metals have a density of 5g/cm3 or greater

77
Q

What are two ways that we can measure air quality?

A
  • by measuring the levels of pollutants in the air
  • by estimating the amount of emissions from pollution sources
78
Q

What causes sulfur dioxide to be produced and how is it harmful to the environment?

A

Sulfur oxides are a major pollutant that come from industrial processes and the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas. They contribute to the production of smog and acid rain.

79
Q

What are three common gases that pollute the air around us?

A
  • Sulfur Dioxide
  • Nitrogen Oxides
  • Carbon Monoxide
80
Q

What is ozone and how is it formed?

A

Ozone [O3(gj) is an odourless, colourless gas composed of three oxygen atoms. At ground level, it forms from reactions between oxygen, nitrogen
oxides, and compounds called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), in the presence of heat and sunlight.

81
Q

Where do most VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) originate/come from?

A

Human made products such as solvents and gasoline.

82
Q

How is ozone created, and how might ground level ozone be harmful?

A

The major source of ground-level ozone is fuel combustion in vehicle engines and industry. As result, ozone pollution is problem mainly in
larger cities, especially during the summer. It can cause respiratory problems and even damage crops.

83
Q

True or False?

Carbon Dioxide is considered a pollutant.

A

False

Carbon dioxide is not considered pollutant since it is naturally present in the air.

84
Q

What are Greenhouse Gases? List one or two examples of gases that act as greenhouse gases.

A

The atmospheric gases that trap heat are called greenhouse gases.

Water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane,
and nitrogen oxides are all greenhouse gases.

85
Q

How is ozone beneficial to the Earth? (thinking about the ozone layer more specifically)

A

The ozone layer is high up above the Earth’s surface and protects us from the Sun’s ultraviolet(UV) radiation.

86
Q

What is a Chloroflourocarbon? (CFC)

A

CFC’s are chemicals that rise up to the upper atmosphere and destroys the ozone layer. This results in ozone layer depletion and increased temperatures on the Earth’s surface.

87
Q

What does the term dispersion refer to?

A

Dispersion refers to the scattering/movemnt of a substance away from its original source.

88
Q

What is the “enhanced greenhouse effect” and what does it lead to?

A

The enhanced greenhouse effect results from the greater concentration of gases trapping even more heat. In turn, this increases overall temperatures on Earth. This temperature increase worldwide is called global warming.

89
Q

What does the term dilution mean?

A

Dilution means that I am reducing the concentration of a substance/pollutant by mixing that substance with large quantities of air or water.

90
Q

What does biodegradation mean?

A

“Bio” means living, “degrade” meanes to break down

Therefore biodegradationwhen organic substances are decomposed by micro-organisms (and broken down into simpler substances such as carbon dioxide, water and ammonia.

91
Q

What does phytoremediation mean?

A

Phytoremediation (phyto meaning ‘plant’, and Latin remedium, meaning ‘restoring balance’) refers to the technologies that use living plants to clean up soil, air, and water contaminated with hazardous contaminants.

92
Q

What is photolysis?

***Hint think about what happens to plastic items when they are exposed to sunlight for long periods of time.

A

Photolysis is the breakdown of substances by light(usually sunlight)

93
Q

What is biomagnification?

A

Biomagnification is the increase in concentration of a chemical or element as it moves up the food chain.

94
Q

What does bioaccumulation refer to?

A

The concentration of toxins in a single organism as a result of its ingesting other plants or animals in which the toxins are more widely dispursed.

The more that the organism ingests the more it will concentrate.

Science 9 GTHS (5 decks)

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