C6.1 Flashcards
What are the 3 essential elements needed by plants?
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Potassium
What are the typical symptoms of a plant with nitrogen deficiency?
Poor growth
Yellow leaves
What are the typical symptoms of a plant with phosphorus deficiency?
Poor root growth
Discoloured leaves
What are the typical symptoms of a plant with potassium deficiency?
Poor fruit growth
Discoloured leaves
What are fertilisers?
Substances that replace the elements used by plants as they grow
What are the conditions for plants to absorb elements?
They have to be in a water-soluble form
How would plants absorb nitrogen?
The nitrogen has to be in the form of:
Nitrate ions = (NO3)-
Ammonium ions = (NH4)-
How would plants absorb phosphorus?
Phosphorus in:
Phosphate ions = (PO4)3-
How would plants absorb potassium?
In the form of potassium ions = (K)-
What are NPK fertilisers?
Fertilisers that provide nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in water-soluble compounds
What are the different fertilisers made in factories?
Ammonium Nitrate
Ammonium Sulfate
Ammonium Phosphate
Potassium Nitrate
What is the formula for ammonium nitrate?
NH4NO3
What is the formula for ammonium sulfate?
(NH4)2SO4
What is the formula for ammonium phosphate?
(NH4)3PO4
What is the formula for potassium nitrate?
KNO3
Which fertilisers can be easily made in a laboratory?
Potassium Sulfate - K2SO4
Ammonium Sulfate - (NH4)2SO4
How do you make potassium sulphate in a lab?
- Put dilute potassium hydroxide - KOH(aq) - in a conical flask and add a few drops of phenolphthalein indicator
- Add dilute Sulfuric acid - H2SO4(aq) - from a pipette, stopping when the indicator turns colourless
- Add ‘activated charcoal’ and filter the mixture
- Warm the filtrate to evaporate the water - leaving the potassium Sulfate behind - don’t heat to dryness
Why is phenolphthalein needed when making potassium Sulfate?
It enables you to determine when the alkali (potassium hydroxide) has been neutralised
What will the indicator colour change be when making potassium Sulfate?
Pink to colourless
What is activated charcoal?
A very fine carbon powder with a lard surface area - absorbs many substances
What does the activated charcoal do when making potassium sulfate?
It attracts the phenolphthalein indicator so you can filter it out with the charcoal
What is the formula for potassium hydroxide solution?
KOH(aq)
What is the formula for sulfuric acid?
H2SO4(aq)
What is the formula for potassium sulfate?
K2SO4(aq)
How do you make ammonium sulfate in a lab?
- Place dilute ammonia solution - NH3(aq) - in a conical flask with methyl orange indicator.
- Add dilute sulfuric acid- H2SO4(aq) - from a pipette, stopping when the indicator changes colour
- Add a little more ammonia solution to ensure the reaction is complete - any remaining ammonia will be lost through evaporation
What are the hazards of making ammonium sulfate in a lab?
Ammonia solution and potassium hydroxide solution are all alkaline - corrosive
Ammonia solution releases a bit of ammonia in the gas state - irritating sharp smell - need to take care to avoid breathing it in
Excess ammonia is given off in gas state when the solution is warmed
What are the features of a batch process (in a lab)?
Rate of production - slow
Relative equipment cost - low
Workers needed - large
Shut-down periods - frequent
Ease of automating the process - low
What are the features of a continuous process (industrially)?
Rate of production - fast
Relative equipment cost - high
Workers needed - small
Shut-down periods - rare
Ease of automating the process - high
What substances would a lab start with (when making something)?
You would start with pure substances from a chemical manufacturer
What substances would a factory start with (when making something)?
They would start with raw materials - need to be purified before use or product must be purified at the end
What are raw materials?
Substances obtained from the ground, air or sea
What is the formula for the Haber process?
Reversible reaction sign needed
N2(g) + 3H2(g) —> 2NH3(g)
What does a positive delta (triangle) H mean in a reaction?
The reaction has absorbed heat from its surrounding
What does a negative delta (triangle) H mean in a reaction?
The reaction has released heat during the reaction
What is the delta (triangle) H for the Haber process?
—93kJ/mol
What are the usual conditions used for the Haber process?
Pressure of 200 atmospheres (20MPa)
Temperature of 450 degrees Celsius
An iron catalyst
What is the equilibrium yield of ammonia in the usual conditions?
30%
What factors determine the pressure of the Haber process?
High pressure would give higher yield however, it is lower because a pressure too high would be hazardous and expensive - compromise
What factors determine the temperature chosen in the Haber process?
Lower temperature would give a higher yield however, it is low enough to achieve a reasonable yield but high enough for a good rate of reaction - iron catalyst works more efficiently above 400 degrees Celsius
How does the yield increase when using the Haber process industrially?
The mixture of gases leaving the vessel is cooled so the ammonia is liquified - ammonia is removed and the uncreated nitrogen and hydrogen are recycled - yield becomes 97%
What is the Contact process?
The process of making sulfuric acid
What are the raw materials needed for the Contact process?
Sulfur
Air - a source of oxygen
Water
What happens in the 3 stages (simple) of the Contact process?
Stage 1 - sulfur burns in air to produce sulfur dioxide
Stage 2 - sulfur dioxide and oxygen react to produce sulfur trioxide (reversible)
Stage 3 - sulfur trioxide is converted to sulfuric acid - not actually what happens