Chemistry of the atmosphere

• Earths atmosphere:

  • Nitrogen - 78%
  • Oxygen - 21%
  • Carbon dioxide - 0.03-0.04%
  • Argon - 1%
• First billion years of earth:

  1. Volcanic activity --> lots of carbon dioxide (and other gases).
  2. Then as water vapour in atmosphere condensed, it formed the oceans which the carbon dioxide was able to dissolve in.
  3. 2 billion years later, algae and green plants evolved, after photosynthesising for millions of years, it decreased the atmospheres carbon dioxides levels and increased oxygens atomosphere levels.
• Carbon footprint:

  Total amount of co2 and other greenhouse gases emmited over something's enitire lifecycle.
• Benefits of carbon footprints:

  • Can see how environmently damaging something is (is it worth cost).
  • You can identify the most polluting activity.
• How to reduce greenhouse emissions:

  • Use renewable energy sources.
  • Use more efficient manfacturing processes, which uses less energy and less waste (can broken down by decomposers and produce methane).
• How can the government help reduce greenhouse emissions:

  • Impose new laws.
  • Tax companies based on how much green house gases they emit.
• Why it is difficult to reduce greenhouse emissions:

  • Renewable energy sources are more expensive.
  • Government worries that if they priortise the environment, the economy might suffer.
  • Some countries economy is from fossil fuels.
• What's the difference between global warming and climate change:

  1. Global warming is theoverall increases of the earths temperature.
  2. Climate change is the consequences of global warming, e.g. drought, melting ice caps.
• Difference between weather and climate:

  Weather - refers to the short term atomospheric conditions.

  Climate - describes typical weather conditions in an entire region for a long time.
• 3 factors you must consider when calculating the carbon footprint of a car:

  • How raw materials were sourced.
  • The manufacturing process.
  • The total amount of fuel it will use in it's lifetime.
• 3 ways to reduce carbon footprint of a product:

  • create it using fewer, more sustainable materials.
  • Use renewable energy sources.
  • Recycle it intead of disposing in landfill
• Carbon capture technology allows us to trap co2 and store it deep underground. (very expensive).
• Why is carbon monoxide bad for humans:

  1. When we breathe in carbon monoxide, it eneters our blood stream and binds to our haemoglobin.
  2. This reduces the amount of oxygen the haemglobin can carry.
  3. So less oxygen is transported to the tissues which can cause things like fainting, comas and death.
• How is sulfur dioxide formed when burning fossil fuels:

  Sulfur is an impurity in some fossil fuels and is oxidised when they're combusted.
• Compunds that can form acid rain:

  • Nitrogen oxides
  • Sulfur dioxide
• How does coal decrease amount of carbon dioxide in earths early atmosphere:

  • Plants / tree absorb carbon dioxide.
  • Coal locks up carbon dioxide.
• Why will there be fewer power stations burning oil in the future:

  Oil is a limiting resource.
• How is burning wood carbon neutral:

  1. Carbon dioxide is produces when burning wood.
  2. Carbon dioxide is used for plants / trees for photosynthesis.
• Why the world production of coal is predicted to increase:

  • Many countries have coal.
  • It is easy to extract.
  • Oil / gas is running out.
  • Plentiful supply.