Dessler Ch 5

Question 1

Why does the greenhouse effect occur?

Answer 1

Because our atmosphere is basically
transparent to visible photons but absorbs infrared photons.
It turns out that only a few of the components of our atmosphere actually absorb infrared photons, and it is these greenhouse gases that are responsible for the Earth’s greenhouse effect.

Question 2

Taken together, diatomic nitrogen and oxygen, water vapor, and argon make up more than 99.95% of the atmosphere. You might expect the remaining 0.05% to have no important role because it seems like such a small amount – but you would be wrong. This last smidgen of
atmosphere is crucial to life on the planet. Why?

Answer 2

The largest part of this remaining 0.05% is carbon dioxide which absorbs infrared photons and is therefore a greenhouse gas.

Question 3

Ozone is absolutely necessary for life on our planet because…

Answer 3

it absorbs high-energy ultraviolet photons emitted by the Sun before they reach the Earth’s surface. These photons carry enough energy that they can seriously damage living tissue – leading to diseases such as cancer in
humans.

Question 4

Photosynthesis equation

Answer 4

CO2 + H2O (+sunlight) -> CH2O + O2

Question 5

Respiration equation

Answer 5

CH2O + O2 -> CO2 + H2O (+energy)

Question 6

How is so much carbon stored in the oceans?

Answer 6

One of carbon dioxide’s most important properties is that it readily dissolves in water. Once it has dissolved in water, carbon dioxide can be converted to carbonic acid (H2CO3).

Question 7

Most of the carbon in the world – that is, many millions of gigatonnes of carbon – is stored in rocks, such as limestone (CaCO3). Carbon dioxide is transferred from rocks directly into the atmosphere by…

Answer 7

Volcanic eruptions