Chapters 19-20 vocab

Question 1

Acid deposition/Acid rain

Answer 1

The falling of acids and acid-forming compounds from the atmosphere to the earth’s surface.

Question 2

Air pollution

Answer 2

One or more chemicals in high enough concentrations in the air to do harm

Question 3

Atmospheric pressure

Answer 3

A measure of the mass per unit area of air.

Question 4

Buffer

Answer 4

Substance that can react with hydrogen ions in a solution and thus hold the acidity or pH of a solution fairly constant.

Question 5

Carbon oxides

Answer 5

Carbon and oxygen compounds; a colorless, odorless greenhouse gas that forms during the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing materials

Question 6

Industrial smog

Answer 6

Type of air pollution consisting mostly of a mixture of sulfur dioxide, suspended droplets of sulfuric acid formed from some of the sulfur dioxide, and a variety of suspended solid particles.

Question 7

inversion/temperature inversion/thermal inversion

Answer 7

Layer of dense, cool air trapped under a layer of less dense, warm air. This prevents upward-flowing air currents from developing

Question 8

Ozone Depletion

Answer 8

Decrease in concentration of ozone (O3) in the stratosphere.

Question 9

Nitrous Oxides (NOx)

Answer 9

Nitrogen oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) collectively. These gases play a role in photochemical smog and can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs

Question 9

Nitric Acid (HNO3)

Answer 9

Formed when NO2 reacts with water vapor in the air. It is a component of acid deposition that returns to the earth and can damage trees, soils, and aquatic life in lakes.

Question 10

Ozone (O3)

Answer 10

Colorless and highly reactive gas; a major component of photochemical smog and also found in the stratosphere where it protects life by filtering out most harmful UV radiation from the sun.

Question 11

Ozone layer

Answer 11

Layer of gaseous ozone (O3) in the stratosphere that protects life on earth by filtering out most harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Question 11

PANs

Answer 11

Peroxyacyl nitrates. Group of chemicals found in photochemical smog.

Question 12

Particulates

Answer 12

Solid particles and liquid droplets small and light enough to remain suspended in the air for short to long periods (SPM)

Question 13

Photochemical smog

Answer 13

Complex mixture of air pollutants produced in the lower atmosphere by the reaction of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides under the influence of sunlight. Especially harmful components include ozone,

Question 14

Smog

Answer 14

Originally a combination of smoke and fog but now used to describe other mixtures of pollutants in the atmosphere.

Question 15

Secondary pollutant

Answer 15

Harmful chemical formed in the atmosphere when a primary air pollutant reacts with normal air components or other air pollutants.

Question 15

Primary pollutant

Answer 15

Chemical that has been added directly to the air by natural events or human activities and occurs in a harmful concentration

Question 16

Radon (Rn)

Answer 16

Naturally occurring colorless and odorless radioactive gas found in some types of soil and rock. It can seep into homes and buildings sitting above such deposits

Question 17

Stratosphere

Answer 17

Second layer of the atmosphere, extending about 17-48 kilometers (11-30 miles) above the earth’s surface. Contains Ozone

Question 18

Sulfur Oxide (SO2)

Answer 18

Colorless gas with an irritating odor. About two-thirds (and as high as 90% in urban areas) comes from human sources

Question 19

Sulfuric acid (H2SO4)

Answer 19

Formed in the atmosphere from sulfur dioxide. As microscopic suspended droplets, it is a component of acid deposition.

Question 20

Volatile organic Compounds (VOCs)

Answer 20

Organic compounds that exist as gases in the air. Most are hydrocarbons.

Question 21

CFCs/chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)/freons

Answer 21

Organic compounds made up of atoms of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine. An example is Freon-12 (CCl2F2), used as a refrigerant in refrigerators and air conditioners and in making plastics such as Styrofoam. Gaseous CFCs can deplete the ozone layer when they slowly rise into the stratosphere and their chlorine atoms react with ozone molecules.

Question 22

Global Climate Change

Answer 22

A broad term that refers to changes in the earth’s climate mostly as a result of changes in temperature and precipitation.

Question 23

Global warming

Answer 23

Warming of the earth’s atmosphere because of increases in the concentrations of one or more greenhouse gases primarily as a result of human activities. See greenhouse effect, greenhouse gases.

Question 24

Infrared radiation

Answer 24

The energy wavelength that is reflected by the earth and absorbed or reflected by the atmosphere.

Question 25

Greenhouse warming potential

Answer 25

How much a molecule of any compound can contribute to global warming over a period of 100 years relative to a molecule of CO2.