The Chemistry of the Environment Flashcards
it harbors about every single living thing and almost all human activity
troposphere 0-11 km
the lowest part of the Earth’s atmosphere
troposphere 0-11 km
most of the weather and clouds are found
troposphere 0-11 km
temperature and water vapor decreases as the altitude increases
troposphere 0-11 km
temperature increases as the altitude increases
stratosphere 11-50 km
where ozone layer is found, O3 molecules absorbs UV light from the sun
stratosphere 11-50 km
temperature decreases
mesosphere 50-90 km
coldest temperature -90 degrees celsius
mesosphere 50-90 km
thin air
thermosphere 90-500 km
full of electricity charged ions
thermosphere 90-500 km
x-rays and UV rays are absorbed
thermosphere 90-500 km
outermost layer of the atmosphere
exosphere 10k km above the surface
the process of converting nitrogen into biologically available nitrogen
nitrogen fixation
absorption of nitrates and ammonium from the soil by the plants
assimilation
it is the process that converts ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate
nitrification
process that converts nitrate to nitrogen gas
denitrification
removing bioavailable nitrogen and returning it to the atmosphere
denitrification
process when an organism excretes waste, N in its tissues is organic nitrogen
ammonification
fungi and prokaryotes then decomposes the tissue and release inorganic nitrogen back into the ecosystem as ammonia
ammonification
process where animals and plants use up oxygen when they breathe
respiration
process when plants and animals die, they decompose
decomposing
process of oxidation reaction of materials
corrosion
process of reaction of oxygen and fuel, and heat is produced
combustion
it is a chemical reaction initiated by the absorption of energy in the form of light
photochemical reaction
