Chemical Reaction and Weather and Climate

• Chemical Reaction

  • During a chemical reaction, the new product formed from the reaction differs with the reactant
  • Chemical bonds are broken down and new bonds are formed (atom bond)
• Chemical Reaction and physical processes are different, because physical changes do not produce a new substance and can be reversed, while chemical changes result in the production of a new substance and cannot be reversed.
• Chemical Aspects : During a chemical reaction, some aspects change, which are none other than:

  • Change in temp
  • Change in pH
  • Change in Color
  • May release Odor, Sound, or Light
  • Change in State of Matter:
  • Gas (bubbles are present)
  • Solid (Precipitation)
• Chemical Reaction System (CRS): This system consists of the surrounding and the system itself:

  • System: Content, Reactant, and Product
  • Surrounding: Air, Thermometer, Test Tube, Beaker

  There are 2 types of reaction in the CRS, which are:

  • Exothermic Reaction: When heat energy is transferred from the system to the surrounding
  • Endothermic Reaction: When heat energy is transferred from the surrounding to the system
• Example Of Chemical Reaction:

  • Combustion: When this reaction takes place, oxygen is involved. This is an exothermic reaction.

  Formula: Matter + Oxygen= (Matter)oxide

  Things that happen:

  • Increase in temp
  • New product is formed
  • Metal + Acid: This is an exothermic reaction.

  Formula: Metal + Acid= Salt + Hydrogen

  Things that happen:

  • Increase in temp
  • Bubbles (Production of hydrogen gas)
  • Neutralization: When alkali and base are added together to make a pH of 7. This is an exothermic reaction

  Formula: Acid + Base= Salt + Water
• Example Of Chemical Reaction:

  • Metal Carbonate + Water: This is an exothermic reaction.

  Formula: Metal carbonate + Acid= Salt + Water + Carbon Dioxide

  Things that happen:

  • Increase in temp
  • Metal + Water: This is an exothermic reaction.

  Formula: Metal + Water= Metal Hydroxide + Hydrogen

  Things that happen:

  • Increase in temp
  • Increase in pH (becomes more alkali-like)
• Exothermic Reaction: When heat energy is transferred from the system to the surrounding, the thermometer would read an increase in temp. In case of exothermic reaction, the amount of energy held by the product is lower than the amount of energy held by the reactant, the heat energy has been lost in the surrounding during the chemical reaction.
• Endothermic Reaction: When heat energy is transferred from the surrounding to the system, the thermometer would read a decrease in temp. In case of exothermic reaction, the amount of energy held by the product is higher than the amount of energy held by the reactant, the heat energy has been gain in the surrounding.
• Testing Gas :

  • H2= Light it up (makes pop sound)
  • CO2= Pass the gas through lime water (calcium hydroxide) (Will turn milky and there is a white precipitate)
  • O2= Relights a glowing splint
  • Cl= Bleach damp blue litmus paper (turns white)
• Weather : Day to day change in the atmosphere. The weather is made of:

  • Temperature
  • Precipitation
  • Humidity
  • Cloud Cover
  • Sunshine
  • Air Pressure
  • Wind Direction
  • Wind Speed
• How To Measure The Weather?:

  • Anemometer: To measure wind speed
  • Thermometer: To measure temperature
  • Hygrometer: To measure humidity/ the amount of water vapor in the air
  • Wind Vane: To show the direction of the wind
  • Barometer: To measure atmospheric pressure= high and low pressure
  • Rain Gauge: To measure rain
• Climate: Long term pattern of weather in a particular area. There are many types of climate, such as:

  • Polar: Very cold and dry all year
  • Temperate: Cold winters and mild summers
  • Arid: Hot and dry all year
  • Tropical: Hot and wet all year
  • Mediterranean: Mild winters and hot, dry summers
  • Mountains/ Tundra/ Taiga: Very cold all year
• Factors influencing climate in order of importance:

  • Latitude: How close a place is to the equator - the closer, the warmer
  • Elevation: How high the land is above sea level - the higher, the cooler
  • Ocean/ Wind Currents: Hot water and air rises, cool water and air sinks - creating currents that move heat around the planet
  • Closeness To Large Bodies Of Water: Can increase precipitation and affect temperature depending on the size and location of the water
  • Terrain: Mountains can alter rainfall and sunlight distribution, with the north side usually having a different climate than the south side
• Latitude: How close a place is to the equator. When closer to equator, the land recieve a direct sun light but further north and south the sunlight hits the ground with a lower angle, so the closer to the equator, the warmer it is.

  Latitude influences the temperature as well as the wind and rain pattern
• Elevation: Influence the temperature, the higher the altitude, the colder it is. When there is a odd area with a very different temperature, even tough its around warm areas, it is cause by global warming.
• Terrain: How mountains change how much rain or sun you get, usually the north side of a mountain have a different climate than the south side.

  Elevation can also cause an area to be dry. If mountains are high enough to cause an effect called Rain Shadow. After rain falls, the area beyond the mountain only got dry air.
• Glacial and Interglacial Periods :

  • Glacial Periods: When it was a very cold period and Yuka lived, which is about 10 000 years ago. In a glacial period, the ice spread much further south from the North Pole and further north from the South Pole.
  • Interglacial Periods: When it is between the glacial period, which is the period we are experiencing right now. In a Interglacial period, its so warm there is no permanent ice, even at the North and South Poles.
• Ice Age : The long cold period/ time at Earth, including glacial and interglacial periods. After the Ice Age, there is a long warm period at Earth which is so warm there was no permanent ice anywhere, even at the North Pole and South Pole. Then the Ice Age again, the warm period again, making it a loop/ cycle.
• Atmosphere : Layer of gas above the Earth’s surface. 4000 million yrs ago, scientist think that the atmosphere was mainly made: carbon dioxide, little/no oxygen, small traces of methane, nitrogen, and ammonia.

  • Earth's Early Atmosphere: 95% Carbon Dioxide, 4% water vapour, little/no Oxygen, small traces of Methane, Nitrogen, and Ammonia
  • Earth's Atmosphere Now: 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 1% Carbon Dioxide, water vapour, Ammonia, Methane
• How Does Oxygen Develop in the Atmosphere: About 3500 million yrs ago, microorganism develop on Earth. They use the CO2 in the atmosphere to make their food, and produce oxygen as their waste profuct. Then, plants develop million years later, and use carbon dioxide to produce food by the process of photosynthesis, resulting glucose and oxygen.
• Renewable Sources:

  • Biomass Energy
  • Hydropower Energy
  • Wind Energy
  • Geothermal Energy
  • Solar Energy
• Global Warming: Increase in Earth's temperature, which will eventually cause climate change. This is caused by the increase in greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere
• Greenhouse Gas: Gas molecules that can trap heat, which are:

  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Methane
  • Oxides Of Nitrogen
  • Water Vapour

  These gasses came from industries, transportation, energy (power plants), deforestation, desertification, and burning fossil fuels. These would eventually lead to:

  • Deglaciation
  • Eruption
  • Tsunami
  • Drought
  • Tornado
  • Landslide
  • Forest Fires