Environmental Chemistry Study guide

Question 1

What is the nitrogen cycle

Answer 1

where the protein in plants and animals go into the soil creating ammonia and nitrogen-consuming bacteria breaks it down. Then turns into N2 and goes into the air

Question 2

What is hydrocarbon combustion?

Answer 2

chemical reaction where hydrocarbon reacts with oxygen to create heat, water, and carbon dioxide. Can also create carbon monoxide.

Question 3

pH scales, acids, bases, neutralization.

Answer 3

the pH scale is the measure of how acidic or basic a substance is. A substance with a pH lower than 7, bases are a substance with a pH higher than 7. Both acids and bases are water-soluble. Neutralization is what happens when acids react with a base. Neutralization is generally exothermic.

Question 4

What are macronutrients

Answer 4

they are things that all living things need in large quantities to survive and prosper. N Nitrogen, H Hydrogen, C Carbon, S Sulpher, P Phosphorus, O Oxygen, Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Nucleic acids.

Question 5

What are micronutrients?

Answer 5

things living things do not need in large quantities to survive. Ex vitamin b12, vitamin d

Question 6

What are nutrients?

Answer 6

they are elements and compounds that living things need to perform basic functions and reproduce, etc.

Question 7

What is passive transport?

Answer 7

osmosis, diffusion, does not require energy

Question 8

What is active transport?

Answer 8

the transportation of ions and nutrients that require energy

Question 9

What is smosis?

Answer 9

water moves through a semipermeable layer from low concentration to a high concentration

Question 10

What is diffusion

Answer 10

a substance moves from low concentration to high concentration

Question 11

What are some biological indicators of water quality?

Answer 11

algae population, the quantity of fish/insects, the colour of the water

Question 12

What are some chemical indicators of water quality?

Answer 12

dissolved oxygen, total chorine, nitrates, nitrites.

Question 13

Name the major contaminants of water

Answer 13

Heavy metals (mercury), acid rain, fertilizer, and pesticides

Question 14

Parts per million

Answer 14

the total mass of contaminants compared to the total mass of the substance (1 unit of an element in 100 000 000)

Question 15

LD50

Answer 15

lethal dose

measures toxicity, the amount of material that kills 50% of the test subjects

Question 16

Name the primary air contaminants and how they create smog

Answer 16

O2, S03, Nx, C02
fossil fuels produced by cars, factories, etc, get trapped in the ozone layers because there is too much. reacts with sunlight and creates smog

Question 17

Dillution and Dispersal of materials

Answer 17

dispersal = the scattering of materials away from their source
dilution: decreasing the concentration of a substance by mixing it with air or water.

Question 18

What is biodegradation?

Answer 18

the process of material naturally degrading over time.

Question 19

What is phytoremediation?

Answer 19

using living plants to clean up air, soil, and water

Question 20

What is photolysis?

Answer 20

the decomposition of materials by light

Question 21

What is bioaccumulation?

Answer 21

the gradual accumulation of pesticides and other harmful substances in an animal

Question 22

What is biomagnification?

Answer 22

it is where the toxin is passed down through animals by the predator ingesting the smaller animal that contains the toxin.