C11 - Air and water Flashcards
Two types of tests for water
- Using cobalt(II) chloride
- Using copper(II) sulfate
Copper(II) sulfate test for water
Anhydrous (contains no water) copper(II) sulfate turns white to blue on the addition of water
* Equation: anhydrous copper(II) sulfate + water -› hydrated copper(II) sulfate
* CuSO4 (s) + 5H2O (l) -› CuSO4.5H2O (s)
Cobalt(II) chloride test for water
Cobalt(II) chloride turns blue to pink on the addition of water. This test is usually done using cobalt chloride paper
* Equation: anhydrous cobalt(II) chloride + water -› hydrated cobalt(II) chloride
* CoCl2 (s) + 6H2O (l) -› CoCl2.6H2O (s)
Water supply
Water is taken from rivers, reservoirs or underground water sources (groundwater)
Aquifer
A rock that stores water
Filtration
The process used to remove smaller particles by passing the water through layers of sand and gravel filters that trap solid particles
Chlorination
The careful addition of chlorine to the water supply which kills bacteria and other unwanted microorganisms
Composition of air (4 components)
- 78% nitrogen
- 21% oxygen
- 0.04% CO2
- 0.9% argon and other substances
Uses of air and its components (name 2)
- The noble gases are used in many applications, e.g. helium is used to fill balloons, argon is used in tungsten light bulbs, krypton is used in lasers for eye surgery
- Oxygen is used in steel making, welding and breathing apparatus
- Nitrogen is used in food packaging, the production of ammonia and in the production of silicon chips
- Oxygen and nitrogen are separated from the air by fractional distillation
Common pollutants in air (3)
- Carbon monoxide
- Sulfur dioxide
- Oxides of nitrogen
Source and adverse effects of carbon monoxide
- Source: incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels such as fossil fuels
- Adverse effects: toxic, combining with haemoglobin in the blood and prevents it from carrying oxygen
Source and adverse effects of sulfur dioxide
- Sources: combustion of fossil fuels containing sulfur compounds (such as power stations)
- Adverse effects: dissolves in rain to form acid rain with similar effects as the acid rain caused by oxides of nitrogen
Sources and adverse effects of oxides of nitrogen
- Source: reaction of nitrogen with oxygen in the presence of high temperatures (car engines, furnaces, lightning)
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Adverse effects:
- Produces photochemical smog
- Dissolves in rain to form acid rain which causes corrosion to metal infrastructure, damage to aquatic organisms etc.
Examples of greenhouse gases (2)
Carbon dioxide and methane
Process of the greenhouse effect
- The Sun emits energy in the form of radiation that enters the Earth’s atmosphere
- Some thermal energy is reflected from the Earth’s surface
- Most thermal energy is absorbed and re-emitted back from the Earth’s surface
- The energy passes through the atmosphere where some thermal energy passes straight through and is emitted into space
- But some thermal energy is absorbed by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane and is re-emitted in all directions
- This reduces the thermal energy lost into space and traps it within the Earth’s atmosphere, keeping the Earth warm