Greenhouse Gases & Combustion Rxns: The Chemistry of Climate Change

Question 1

Who are the key players in the Earth’s energy balance?

Answer 1

the sun, the atmosphere, and the earth itself

(reflection, emission, and absorption)

Question 2

What in the atmosphere is causing the greenhouse effect?

Answer 2

greenhouse gases, like CO2 (carbon dioxide), CH4 (methane), N2O (nitrous oxide), and CFC-12 CCl2F2

Question 3

Types of GHG molecule vibrations

Answer 3

stretches, bends, twists, scissors, rock, wag

Question 4

the amount of energy required to cause a vibration depends on

Answer 4

nature of motion, strength of bonds, mass of atoms attached to bonds

Question 5

Global warming potential (GWP)

Answer 5

measure of how much energy the emissions of 1 ton of gas will absorb over a given period of time relative to 1 ton of CO2

GWP values are not assigned for gases with a short lifetime, such as water vapor, troposphoric ozone, aerosols, and other gaseous air pollutants

Question 6

Where do GHGs come from?

Answer 6

Total GHG emissions by economic sector in 2019
1. Agriculture: 10%
2. Commercial and residential: 13%
3. Transportation: 29%
4. Industry: 23%
5. electricity: 25%

Overview of US GHG emissions in 2019
1. Nitrous oxide: 7%
2. methane: 10%
3. fluorinated gases: 3%
4. carbon dioxide: 80%

Question 7

which fuel provides the most energy per kg of co2 produced?

Answer 7

one way to evaluate fuels with respect to global climate change is to determine how much heat they release during combustion relative to how much co2 they produce