topic 9 - Chemistry of the atmosphere

Question 1

Give the chemistry of the atmosphere

Answer 1

78.09% Nitrogeen
20.95 % Oxygen
<1% Argon Carbon dioxide methane greenhouse gases

Question 2

Order of the process of creating the earths atmosphere

Answer 2

1. In first billion years volcanoes produced carbon dioxide and Water Vapour and some nitrogen which built up , small proportions of methane and ammonia
2. Then around a billion years later the earth started cooling and this lead to the water vapour condensing into liquid water to therefore create oceans
3. The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dissolved into the oceans - so carbonates were precipitated , producing sediments
   4.Then around 2.7 billion years ago Photosynthesis from plants and algae increased oxygen levels in the air and decreased carbon dioxide levels in the air

Question 3

difference between climate change and global warming

Answer 3

global warming refers to the overall increase in the Earth’s temperature
Climate change is a general term for the consequences of global warming and refers to the effects on the climate, such as large-scale shifts in weather patterns

Question 4

differences between climate and weather

Answer 4

Weather refers to short term atmospheric conditions like whether it’s raining or sunny on a particular day
Climate describes the typical weather conditions in an entire region for a very long time

Question 5

harmful products of incomplete combustion of Hydrocarbons

Answer 5

soot , Carbon monoxide ,

Question 6

effects of soot

Answer 6

Cause respiratory problems as the particles damage our lungs and Forms clouds of smog which reflect light back to space

Question 7

effects of carbon monoxide

Answer 7

When we breathe in carbon monoxide it diffuses into our bloodstream, and binds to our haemoglobin
This reduces the amount of oxygen that haemoglobin can carry
So less oxygen is transported to the tissues, which can cause symptoms such as fainting, coma and death

Question 8

harmful products of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels eg in engines

Answer 8

Sulfur dioxide from being oxidised sulfur in engine
Nitrogen Oxides - nitrogen oxidised by air but this is rare and happens at very high temps

Question 9

Effects of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides

Answer 9

Respiratory problems in humans
causes acid rain which damages certain buildings and statues and makes the soil more acidic, which harms plants

Question 10

which wavelengths of radiation is absorbed and reflected

Answer 10

short wave radiation passes through atmosphere and some is absorbed but most of it reflected to the atmosphere to space in form of long wave radiation
most of the re-emmitted radiation from the absorbed radiation hits greenhouse gases which absorb this energy and then re-emit it in all directions , trapping the heat in the earths atmosphere - making the earth hotter