Chemistry of the atmosphere

Question 1

What was the early atmosphere like?

Answer 1

large percentages of water vapor and carbon dioxide, but only a small amount of oxygen

Question 2

How did the atmosphere change over time?

Answer 2

Percentages of carbon dioxide decreased
Water vapor decreased and cooled and condensed into oceans.
Oxygen increased

Question 3

Name 2 greenhouse gases

Answer 3

methane and carbon dioxide

Question 4

What affects does deforestation have on the environment?

Answer 4

fewer trees means less trees for photosynthesis and reduced amount of carbon dioxide taken in

Question 5

How does agriculture affect the environment?

Answer 5

more farm animals, more methane released. Methane is a greenhouse gas (released because of digestive systems)

Question 6

How does creating waste affect the environment?

Answer 6

Landfills produce more carbon dioxide. Micro-organisms like bacteria decompose the waste, releasing carbon dioxide

Question 7

How does burning fossil fuels affect the environment?

Answer 7

Burning fossil fuels uses combustion. Combustion releases carbon dioxide

Question 8

Describe the term carbon footprint

Answer 8

the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product, service or event

Question 9

How is carbon monoxide released and what are the harmful affects it has on the environment?

Answer 9

• released by incomplete combustion
• it is poisonous

Question 10

How is sulfur dioxide released and what are the harmful affects it has on the environment?

Answer 10

• released by combustion of fossil fuels with sulfur impurities e.g. coal
• it causes acid rain, can kill plants and cause respiratory problems

Question 11

How are nitrogen oxides released and what are the harmful affects it has on the environment?

Answer 11

• released by atmospheric nitrogen + atmospheric oxygen react in high temperatures caused by engines
• causes acid rain, kills plants, corrodes buildings

Question 12

How are carbon particulates released and what are the harmful affects it has on the environment?

Answer 12

• released by incomplete combustion
• respiratory problems, causes global dimming

Question 13

What happens during the greenhouse effect?

Answer 13

• sun emits short wavelength radiation which penetrates the earth’s atmosphere
• short wavelength is absorbed by the earth which increases the temperature
• earth then emits long wavelength radiation
• atmosphere absorbs wavelength radiation by greenhouse gases

Question 14

What does waste water contain?

Answer 14

human waste: harmful bacteria
industrial waste - toxic chemicals
agriculture waste - harmful chemicals from fertilisers, harmful microbes

Question 15

What happens during waste water treatment?

Answer 15

1. screening - to remove large insoluble particles
2. sedimentation - left for the particles to settle and sink to the bottom to produce sludge + effluent
3. Particles turn into sludge, sludge is treated with anaerobic digestion and effluent is treated with aerboic treatment

Question 16

Describe what happens in phytomining?

Answer 16

Phytomining: reduces the need of mining ores
1. grow plants in soil that contains copper
2. the plants then absorb the minerals from the soil
3. we then harvest the plant and burn it
4. ash is left over, which contains copper compounds
5. add acid to the ash, dissolves the copper compounds, substance known as leachate
6. use scrap iron to displace the copper compounds to get copper

Question 17

What happens during bioleaching?

Answer 17

• Bacteria is used in bioleaching
• bacteria is added to a low-grade ore
• this produces an acidic solution called leachate which contains metal compounds
• use scrap iron to displace copper from compound

Question 18

What are the 4 steps included in the Life Cycle Assessment?

Answer 18

• extracting the raw metals
• manufacturing packaging
• use of the product ( not always harmful)
• disposal at end of use e.g. transport, deforestation

Question 19

What is a finite resource?

Answer 19

a resource that can only be used once and is in limited supply

Question 20

What do we mean by the term sustainable?

Answer 20

development that meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs

Question 21

What is portable water and how is it made?

Answer 21

Portable water is water that is safe to drink
Water from rivers/ reservoirs etc. passed through filter beds to rid of insoluble materials
Water is sterilised to rid of bacteria

Question 22

What are some reasons of why we recycle?

Answer 22

• less waste
• less energy
• less environmental impact
• reduce the use of raw materials (are finite)

Question 23

Describe the term corrosion

Answer 23

the destruction of raw materials by chemical reactions with substances from the environment

Question 24

What can we use greasing and electro-plating for?

Answer 24

greasing and electro-plating can be used to prevent something from rusting

Question 25

What do we mean by the term sacrificial protection?

Answer 25

galvanising using zinc (metal coating process)

Question 26

What are the conditions needed for the harber process?

Answer 26

• pressure = 200 atmospheres
• temperature = 450 degrees
• cool ammonia so it cools and condenses
• recycle hydrogen produced and nitrogen produced

Question 27

What metals are involved in NPK?

Answer 27

nitrogen
phosphorus
potassium

Question 28

How can we get potassium and phosphate?

Answer 28

Potassium can be gotten from potassium chloride, potassium sulfate
We can get phosphate from mining phosphate rocks

Question 29

How do produce phosphate ions?

Answer 29

by reacting phosphate rocks with 3 different acids to produce phosphate ions

Question 30

What are the compounds produced when reacting phosphate rock with nitric acid?

Answer 30

Calcium nitrate and phosphate acid (which is neutralised with ammonia to make ammonium phosphate)

Question 31

What are the compounds produced when reacting phosphate rock with sulfuric acid?

Answer 31

single superphosphate (a mixture of calcium sulfate and calcium phosphate)

Question 32

What are the compounds produced when reacting phosphate rock with phosphoric acid?

Answer 32

triple superphosphate (calcium phosphate)

Question 33

Name 2 types of glass and what they are made up of
Name one difference between both glasses

Answer 33

soda-lime glass: sand, sodium carbonate, limestone
borosilicate glass: sand, boron and trioxide (has a higher melting point than soda-lime glass)

Question 34

What are seramics?

Answer 34

products that come out of a furnace e.g. pottery and bricks

Question 35

What does CRM stand for?

Answer 35

C - composite
R - reinforcement
M - matrix

Question 36

Name 4 different composites, and for each name the reinforcement and the matrix

Answer 36

1. C- reinforced concrete, R - steel, M - concrete
2. C - fibre glass, R - glass fibres, M - polymer resin
3. C - carbon fibre reinforced polymer, R - carbon fibres, M - Polymer resin
4. C - chipboard, R - wood chips, M - resin glue

Question 37

What are the properties of low density polymers and explain why they have these properties?
What are they used for?

Answer 37

Properties: flexible (flexible because polymers are branched)
Uses: carrier bags, bubble wrap

Question 38

What are the properties for high density polymers and explain why they have those properties?
What are they used for?

Answer 38

Properties: strong (strong because polymers are compacted together)
Uses: pipes, buckets

Question 39

What do we mean by ‘thermosoftening’?

Answer 39

melts at high temperatures, no bonds between polymers so they can easily slide

Question 40

What do we mean by ‘thermosetting’?

Answer 40

can withstand high temperatures
won’t melt when heated
there are strong covalent bonds between polymers
meaning it is more resistant to higher temperatures than thermosoftening