Air and Atmosphere Flashcards
What is air?
Air is a mixture, it’s composition varies from time to time and from place to place
Composition of dry air
Nitrogen, 78%
Oxygen, 21%
Noble gases, 0.97%
Carbon dioxide, 0.03%
Fractional distillation of liquid air
- Air is first cooled and compressed into liquid
- Liquid air is separated into its components by fractional distillation
- The liquid with the lowest boiling point distils over first
What is air pollution?
The condition in which air contains a high concentration of chemicals that may harm living things or damage non-living things
What are the common sources of air pollution?
- Carbon monoxide
- Sulfur dioxide
- Oxides of nitrogen
- Unburnt hydrocarbons, methane and ozone
Source of carbon monoxide
Incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuel
Source of sulfur dioxide
Combustion of fossil fuels
Source of oxides of nitrogen
Internal combustion engines
What are the effects of carbon monoxide?
Causes headaches, fatigue, breathing difficulties and even death
What are the effects of sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen?
Irritate eyes and lungs
Causes breathing difficulties
What is acid rain?
Formed when acidic air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide react with water in the atmosphere
Effects of acid rain
- Corrodes limestone and metal buildings and structures
2. Kills plants and aquatic life
Unburnt hydrocarbons
Incomplete combustion of fuels in car exhaust and chemical plants
Causes cancer
Ozone
Produce when oxides of nitrogen in the air reacts with unburnt hydrocarbons in the presence of sunlight
Forms photochemical smog which irritates eyes and lunges and causes breathing difficulties
Methane
Decay of plant and animal matters
Released by the digestion of food in sheeps and cows
Global warming
