pollution

Cards (36)

  • What is the approximate percentage of nitrogen in the atmosphere?
    About 80%
  • What is the approximate percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere?
    About 20%
  • What gases are present in small proportions in the atmosphere?
    Carbon dioxide, water vapour, noble gases
  • How did algae and plants contribute to the oxygen in the atmosphere?
    They produced oxygen through photosynthesis
  • What is the photosynthesis equation that represents oxygen production?
    6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2
  • When did algae first produce oxygen?
    About 2.7 billion years ago
  • What happened to the percentage of oxygen over the next billion years?
    It gradually increased to enable animal evolution
  • What is one theory about the Earth's early atmosphere?
    It was formed by volcanic activity releasing gases
  • What gases may have been present in the early atmosphere?
    Mainly carbon dioxide with little or no oxygen
  • How did carbon dioxide levels decrease in the atmosphere?
    Through photosynthesis and ocean absorption
  • What is limestone primarily composed of?
    Calcium carbonate
  • How is coal formed?
    From thick plant deposits buried and compressed
  • What produces crude oil and natural gas?
    Deposited plankton covered and compressed over time
  • What are two sources of nitrogen in the atmosphere?
    Volcanoes and denitrifying bacteria
  • What human activities contribute to greenhouse gas increases?
    Combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation
  • What is the carbon footprint?
    Total greenhouse gases emitted over a product's life
  • What is one action to reduce the carbon footprint?
    Increased use of alternative energy supplies
  • What is the greenhouse effect?
    It maintains Earth's temperatures for life
  • What is the process of the greenhouse effect?
    UV radiation enters, Earth absorbs, re-emits IR
  • What gases are considered greenhouse gases?
    Water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane
  • What correlates with the increase in carbon dioxide over the last 100 years?
    Increased use of fossil fuels
  • What is a major cause of climate change?
    An increase in average global temperature
  • What are potential effects of global climate change?
    Sea level rise, severe storms, rainfall changes
  • What are some problems of reducing the carbon footprint?
    Lack of public information and scientific disagreement
  • What is complete combustion of hydrocarbons?
    Occurs with a plentiful oxygen supply
  • What is the equation for complete combustion of methane?
    CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O
  • How are nitrogen oxides produced?
    By burning fuels at high temperatures
  • What happens during incomplete combustion?
    Produces carbon monoxide and soot
  • What is carbon monoxide?
    A toxic, colorless, and odorless gas
  • What is sulfur dioxide produced from?
    Burning sulfur impurities in fuels
  • What pollutants are released during combustion?
    Carbon dioxide, water vapour, carbon monoxide
  • What health problems can sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides cause?
    Respiratory problems in humans
  • What is acid rain caused by?
    Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
  • What is the advantage of complete combustion?
    Less soot and more heat released
  • What is the nature of combustion of hydrocarbon fuels?
    It is an exothermic reaction
  • What happens to carbon and hydrogen during combustion?
    They are oxidised