Fertilisers Flashcards
What do fertilisers do?
Replace missing elements or produce more of them
Increases crop yield - grow faster and bigger
Dissolves in water and is taken in by roots
What are the 3 main elements in fertilisers?
Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium
Why does neutralising nitric acid and ammonia give good fertiliser?
Forms ammonium nitrate
Provides nitrogen from 2 sources - ammonia and nitric acid
How is ammonium sulfate used as a fertiliser?
Make it by neutralising sulfuric acid with ammonia
How is ammonium phosphate made as a fertiliser?
By neutralising phosphoric acid with ammonia
How is potassium nitrate made as a fertiliser?
Neutralising nitric acid with potassium hydroxide
How are fertilisers useful?
Population is rising, fertilisers increase crop yield so can feed more people
What are dangers of too much fertilisers?
Polluting water supply
Causing eutrophication
What is eutrophication?
Fertilisers damaging lakes and rivers
How do fertilisers damage lakes and rivers?
Fertiliser runs off field into rivers
Levels of nitrates and phosphates increases
Algae in river multiply rapidly creating algae bloom ( green carpet on water) which blocks light to plants below and they die
Aerobic bacteria feed on dead plants and multiply, using up oxygen
Fish and insects die