C1 - topic 5 - environmental problems

Question 1

what do power stations burn to make electricity?

Answer 1

huge amounts of fossil fuels

Question 2

when fossil fuels are burnt what is always released into the atmosphere?

Answer 2

Carbon dioxide and water vapour

Question 3

what is the equation for a fossil fuel being burnt?

Answer 3

hydrocarbon + oxygen > Carbon dioxide + water vapour

Question 4

what fuels are sulfur impurities found in?

Answer 4

diesel and petrol

Question 5

what is put into the air when sulfur impurities ate released?

Answer 5

sulfur dioxide

Question 6

what does sulfur dioxide cause?

Answer 6

acid rain

Question 7

when sulfur dioxide mixes with clouds what is formed?

Answer 7

sulfuric acid

Question 8

what are the cons of acid rain?

Answer 8

1) causes lakes to become acidic and many plants and animal for as a result
2) kills trees and damages limestone buildings and ruins stone statues
3) there has also been links with human health

Question 9

have international agreements been put in place to reduce emissions of air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide?

Answer 9

yes

Question 10

can sulfur be removed from fuels before they’re burned?

Answer 10

yes

Question 11

what is a disadvantage of removing sulfur from fuels before they’re burned?

Answer 11

it costs more to do it and takes more energy which involves burning fuels so more of the green house gas Carbon dioxide is released

Question 12

how is acid rain prevented?

Answer 12

cleaning up emissions

Question 13

what do power stations have to take the harmful gases out before they release their fumes into the atmosphere?

Answer 13

acid gas scrubbers that use limestone

Question 14

what are cats now fitted with to clean up their exhaust gases?

Answer 14

catalytic converter

Question 15

what is a way of reducing acid rain?

Answer 15

reduce our usage of fossil fuels

Question 16

when you burn fuels what is real eased?

Answer 16

gases and particles

Question 17

what kind of gas in carbon dioxide?

Answer 17

green house gas

Question 18

the temperature of the earth is a balance between what?

Answer 18

the heat it gets from the sun and the heat it radiates back out into space

Question 19

what 3 gases act as an insulating layer?

Answer 19

Carbon dioxide
methane
water vapour

Question 20

what do green house gases do?

Answer 20

act as an insulating layer and absorb most of the heat that would normally be radiated out into space and re radiate it in all directions

Question 21

what affects the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?

Answer 21

human activity

Question 22

what is an example of human activity that affects the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?

Answer 22

deforestation, burning fossil fuels

Question 23

what is the affect of the world facially heating called?

Answer 23

global warming

Question 24

is the atmosphere heating up or cooling down?

Answer 24

heating up

Question 25

is human activity affecting climate change?

Answer 25

yes

Question 26

why is deforestation occurring and how does it affect the atmosphere?

Answer 26

people are cutting down large areas of forests for timber and to clear land for farming which increases Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

Question 27

why does deforestation increase Carbon dioxide levels?

Answer 27

Carbon dioxide is real eased when trees are burnt to clear land
micro organisms feeding on bits of dead wood release Carbon dioxide as a water product of respiration
trees use Carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, removing trees means less carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere

Question 28

how does burning fossil contribute to global warming?

Answer 28

they release Carbon dioxide

Question 29

what are two ways that scientist are trying to limit the increase in Carbon dioxide?

Answer 29

iron seeding

converting Carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons

Question 30

what is the element iron needed by plants for?

Answer 30

photosynthesis

Question 31

how does iron allow plants to photosynthesis?

Answer 31

iron is injected into the upper ocean promoting the growth of phytoplankton

Question 32

How does iron seeding prevent the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

Answer 32

blooms of phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for photosynthesis

Question 33

what is a disadvantage of iron seeding?

Answer 33

we have no way of controlling what plankton grows and some are toxic

Question 34

can you convert carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons?

Answer 34

yes

Question 35

what different methods are being tested to convert Carbon dioxide waste into hydrocarbons?

Answer 35

using:
high pressure
high temperature
metal catalyst