Topic C9 Flashcards
What did the early atmosphere contain?
Mainly carbon dioxide and virtually no oxygen gas
What planets are similar to the early atmosphere we had?
Mars and Venus
What does intense volcanic activity cause?
Cause volcanoes to release gases
How are oceans formed through absorption?
Water vapour (H2O) condensed to form oceans.
How are CRUDE OIL and NATURAL GASES formed?
Formed from compressed plankton deposits.
How is COAL formed?
Formed from compressed thick plant deposits.
How is LIMESTOME formed?
Formed from compressed calcium carbonate deposits from shells and marine skeletons.
How is carbon dioxide absorbed through oceans?
CO2 absorbed for photosynthesis
2 examples of sedimentary rocks
LIMESTONE and COAL
When did Algae evolve?
2.7 billion years ago
When did plants evolve?
Over the next billion years after ALGAE.
How do Algae and Plants produce oxygen?
Through photosynthesis
What is the equation for photosynthesis?
Carbon Dioxide (6CO2) + Water (6H2O)
light
~~~>
Glucose (C6,H12,O6) + Oxygen (6O2)
What caused animals to evolve?
The increase in atmospheric oxygen.
How much Oxygen is in the atmosphere today?
21%
How much Nitrogen is in the atmosphere today?
78%
How much H20 vapour, Noble Gases, and CO2 in the atmosphere today
1%
Examples of GREENHOUSE GASES?
1) Carbon Dioxide
2) Methane
3) Water Vapour
What is GREENHOUSE EFFECT?
When greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb long wavelength radiation and re-radiate it in all directions. Including back towards Earth, helping to keep it warm.
Human activities that increase carbon dioxide and methane?
1) Deforestation - Less CO2 removed through photosynthesis
2) Burning Fossil Fuels - Releases CO2
3) Farm Animals - Produce methane
4) Decomposition - Of landfill and animal waste, produces CO2 and methane
Four consequences of CLIMATE CHANGE
1) FLOODING AND EROSION in coastal areas due to the melting of ice causing sea level to rise
2) MORE FREQUENT AND SEVERE STORMS
3) DIFFICULTY PRODUCING FOOD in certain areas if temperature and rainfall patterns change
4) CHANGES IN THE DISTRIBUTION of some wild species if habitats change
Carbon Footprint definition
How much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released over somethings full life cycle
How do you reduce CARBON FOOTPRINT?
By reducing carbon dioxide and methane emissions.
What does combustion of fossil fuels do?
Releases gases and particles which pollute the air
Why is carbon monoxide hard to detect?
Because it has no colour or smell
4 pollutants of combustion
1) Carbon monoxide
2) Carbon particulates
3) Sulfur dioxide
4) Oxides of nitrogen
How is carbon monoxide and carbon particulates formed?
Incomplete combustion of fossil fuel e.g Coal
How is sulfur dioxide formed?
Oxidisation of sulfur impurities in fossil fuels during combustion
How are oxides of nitrogen formed?
Reaction between nitrogen and oxygen in the air caused by the heat of burning fuels.
e.g IN CAR ENGINES
Effects of carbon monoxide?
Stops blood from transporting enough oxygen around the body
Can cause:
~ Fainting
~ Coma
~ Death
Effects of carbon particulates (soot)?
~ Respiratory Problems
~ Global Dimming
Sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen effects?
~ Acid Rain
~ Respiratory Problems
Causing damage to plants, statues and buildings.
5 things humans use natural resourves for
1) Fuel for heating
2) Shelter
3) Food
4) Clothing
5) Fuel for transport
How can we replace natural resource products?
We can use agricultural or synthetic products in place of them.
E.g - Rubber replaced by man-made polymers
3 natural resources that are finite
1) Nuclear fuel
2) Oil
3) Coal
Renewable Resources Definition
Resources that reform at a similar, or faster, rate than we use them, e.g timber
Why are Finite Resources processed?
To provide materials and energy
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Definition
An assessment of the environmental impact of a product over each stage of its life.
4 Life Cycle Assessment Stages
1) Raw Materials
2) Manufacturing and Packaging
3) Using The Product
4) Product Disposal
Plastic Bag Life Cycle
Raw Materials ~ Crude Oil
Manufacturing & Packaging ~ Key compounds extracted by fractional distillation.
Using The Product ~ Reusable
Product Disposal ~ Recyclable
Paper Bag Life Cycle
Raw Materials ~ Timber
Manufacturing & Packaging ~ Takes a lot of energy to pulp timber and creates lots of waste
Using The Product ~ Single Use
Product Disposal ~ Biodegradable and Recylable
Life Cycle Assesment Negatives
1) Selective LCA - LCA where some information has been removed to make a product look better.
2) Some factors are hard to measure or depend on a person’s opinion. This can make life cycle assessments biased.
Sustainable Development Definition
Meeting the needs of present society while not damaging the lives of future generations.
3 ways to improve SUSTAINABILITY
1) Reducing the amount of raw materials used
2) Reusing products instead of throwing them away
3) Recycling products that can’t be reused
MINING IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Is Copper Ore a finite or infinite resource?
Finite
2 ways of extracting from low-grade ores to improve sustainability?
1) Phytomining
- Soil containing copper
- Copper builds up in leaves
- Harvested plants are burned
- Ash contains copper compounds
- Displacement reaction with scrap iron
2) Bioleaching
- Low-grade ore and bacteria mixed
- Bacteria convert copper compounds in ore to soluble copper compounds
- Becomes leachate solution
- Pure copper extracted through electrolysis
How does recycling metals help?
Helps save on the large amounts of energy required to mine and extract them
Recycling metals pathway
Waste Metal
~> Melted Down
~> Recast Into New Products
Recycling Glass Pathway
Waste Glass
~> Seperated by colour and chemical composition
~> Crushed and melted
~> Reshaped
Potable Water Definition
Water that is safe to drink
Potable water is not chemically pure
3 types of water
1) Ground Water
2) Salt Water
3) Waste Water
Ground Water Source
Underground rocks
Salt Water Source
Sea Water
Waste Water Source
Sewage treatment and agricultural systems
Ground Water Treatment
Filtered and Sterilised
Salt Water Treatment
Desalination
Treating Ground Water Pathway
1) Mesh
- removes any large debris such as twigs
2) Sand and Gravel filtration
- to remove any smaller solid bits
3) Sterilisation
- to kill off any harmful bacteria or microbes using chlorine gas, ozone or UV light
Two Methods of Desalination
1) Distillation
- boiling the water to separate it from dissolved salts
2) Reverse Osmosis
- passing the water through a membrane that only allows water molecules through
Desalination Negative
Requires a lot of energy
Waste Water Treatment Pathway
1) Screening
2) Sedimentation
⬇️ effluent
3) Aerboic digestion of organic matter
⬇️
Released back into environment
Or
1) Screening
2) Sedimentation
⬇️ sludge
3) anerobic digestion of organic matter
⬇️
Natural gas or Fertiliser
