Chemistry of the Environment and Atmosphere
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary factor affecting the saturation level of air concerning water vapor?

  • Wind speed
  • Humidity
  • Air temperature (correct)
  • Air pressure

Which atmospheric layer contains approximately 90% of the total atmospheric water vapor?

  • Stratosphere
  • Thermosphere
  • Troposphere (correct)
  • Mesosphere

What percentage of incoming shortwave solar radiation is absorbed by water vapor?

  • 80%
  • 60%
  • 70% (correct)
  • 50%

Which greenhouse gas is primarily affected by human activities such as burning fossil fuels?

<p>Carbon dioxide (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the bond angle between the two hydrogen atoms in liquid water?

<p>105° (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How many varieties of water molecules can exist due to the isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen?

<p>18 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of bonds exist between the hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water?

<p>Polar covalent bonds (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of outgoing long-wave radiation is absorbed by water vapor?

<p>60% (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What primarily comprised the primitive atmosphere of the Earth?

<p>Hydrogen and helium (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What major factor contributed to the loss of the primitive atmosphere?

<p>Solar winds from the Sun (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which gases were mainly released during the formation of the secondary atmosphere?

<p>Water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ammonia (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which process leads to the formation of nitrogen in the atmosphere?

<p>Breakdown of ammonia by sunlight (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role did the oceans play in the evolution of the Earth's atmosphere?

<p>Absorbed atmospheric carbon dioxide (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What charge do hydrogen atoms acquire in a water molecule?

<p>Slightly positive (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the maximum number of hydrogen bonds that water can form?

<p>4 (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome of the cooling process of the Earth after the secondary atmosphere was formed?

<p>Formation of a solid crust (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What method contributed to the formation of oxygen in the atmosphere?

<p>Photochemical dissociation of water vapor (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why does ice float on water?

<p>Ice has a smaller coordination number (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant characteristic of the secondary atmosphere when it formed?

<p>It was similar to the atmospheres of Mars and Venus (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the specific heat of water?

<p>1 cal/g/°C (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What effect does temperature have on vapor pressure?

<p>Increases vapor pressure when increased (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the latent heat of fusion for water?

<p>80 calories (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the addition of solutes like salt affect the vapor pressure of water?

<p>It decreases vapor pressure (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a property of water that makes it an excellent solvent?

<p>High dielectric strength (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of the Earth's crust by weight comprises inorganic components?

<p>47% (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a primary mineral?

<p>Kaolinite (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a secondary mineral?

<p>Gibbsite (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Soil organic matter excludes which of the following?

<p>Undecayed plant tissues (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Where are secondary minerals primarily found in soil?

<p>Clay fraction (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What defines the principal cations responsible for hardness in water?

<p>Calcium, magnesium, strontium, ferrous, and manganous ions (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which factor contributes to the formation of hard water?

<p>Thick top soil and limestone formations (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What primary focus did soil chemistry have before its expansion into environmental concerns?

<p>Chemical reactions affecting plant growth and nutrition (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following components is NOT part of the inorganic portion of soil?

<p>Decomposed organic matter (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the smallest unit that can be considered as 'soil'?

<p>Pedon (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What important study has emerged due to concerns over contaminants in soil and water?

<p>Environmental soil chemistry (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which elements are primarily found in soils in the highest quantities?

<p>O, Si, Al, Fe, C, Ca, K, Na, Mg (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do peds form in soil?

<p>Through aggregation of sand, silt, and clay particles (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What process contributed to the formation of oxygen in the early atmosphere?

<p>Photochemical dissociation of water vapor (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which organisms were primarily responsible for the initial release of oxygen into Earth's atmosphere?

<p>Cyanobacteria (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason that 97% of Earth's water is unusable for drinking and agriculture?

<p>It is saline water from oceans (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What term refers to pollutants that have a direct influence on bodies of water?

<p>Point sources (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about polar bonds in water is correct?

<p>Oxygen has a 40% partial ionic character (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does soil organic matter, also known as humus, comprise?

<p>Decomposed organic compounds and soil biomass (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which branch of science focuses on the chemical composition and properties of soils?

<p>Soil chemistry (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes in situ techniques from non-in-situ techniques for decontaminating soils?

<p>In situ techniques treat soil without removal (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Primitive Atmosphere

The Earth's early atmosphere, primarily composed of hydrogen, helium, ammonia, and methane.

Secondary (Reducing) Atmosphere

Earth's atmosphere after the primitive one, composed mostly of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ammonia, released by volcanic activity.

Oxidizing Atmosphere

The atmosphere after the reducing atmosphere, where oxygen increased

Formation of oceans

Water vapor condensed and formed clouds, leading to precipitation that created the oceans which absorbed significant carbon dioxide from early atmosphere.

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Nitrogen Formation

Nitrogen was created by the decomposition of ammonia through exposure to sunlight.

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Photochemical Dissociation

The process of breaking down water vapor through ultraviolet radiation from the sun, a major process in oxygen formation.

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Early Atmosphere Composition

The initial atmosphere mainly consisted of hydrogen, helium, and simple compounds such as ammonia and methane.

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Earth's atmosphere now

The atmosphere today is different from the early atmosphere. Today it contains significant nitrogen and oxygen.

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Water Hardness

The hardness of water is caused by divalent metal cations like calcium, magnesium, strontium, and iron.

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Soil Chemistry

The study of the chemical composition and reactions of soil, particularly affecting plant growth.

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Environmental Soil Chemistry

The study of how soil interacts chemically with contaminants like metals, or nutrients to impact plant, animal, and human health.

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Soil Composition

Soil is composed of air, water, inorganic solids (like sand, silt, clay), organic matter, and microorganisms.

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Pedons

Smallest unit of soil, consisting of all soil layers from the surface down to the bedrock.

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Soil Profiles

Layers of varying properties (texture, structure, color) in the soil.

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Water pH

The measure of acidity or alkalinity in water, typically between 6 and 9.5.

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Inorganic Soil Components

Sand, silt, and clay are the inorganic parts of soil.

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Hydrogen Bond

A weak bond between polar molecules where a hydrogen atom of one molecule is attracted to a highly electronegative atom of another molecule.

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Coordination Number

The average number of nearest neighbor atoms around a central atom.

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Specific Heat of Water

The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius.

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Latent Heat of Fusion

The energy required to change 1 gram of ice to liquid water at 0°C.

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Latent Heat of Vaporization

The energy required to change 1 gram of liquid water to vapor at 100°C.

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Vapor Pressure

The pressure exerted by vapor molecules above a liquid in a closed system.

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Boiling Point (affected by vapor pressure)

The temperature at which the vapor pressure of a liquid equals the external atmospheric pressure.

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Water's Excellent Solvent

Water's ability to dissolve many substances due to its high dielectric strength.

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Water Vapor in Atmosphere

Water Vapor is a significant component of the atmosphere, mostly concentrated in the lower 5 km layer and the troposphere.

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Saturation Level

The maximum amount of water vapor air can hold without condensation, depending only on temperature.

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Greenhouse Gas (Water Vapor)

Water vapor absorbs a large portion of incoming solar radiation and outgoing longwave radiation, making it a significant greenhouse gas.

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Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

A crucial greenhouse gas that absorbs infrared and near-infrared radiation, exchanged between atmosphere and biosphere.

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CO2 Increase Causes

Increased CO2 levels result from human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and other land use changes.

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Water's Chemical Formula

Water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen, represented by the chemical formula Hâ‚‚O, in all three states (gas, liquid, solid).

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Polar Bonds in Water

The bonds between oxygen and hydrogen in a water molecule are polar, meaning electrons are unequally shared.

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Water's Molecular Structure

Water molecules have a bent structure (H-O-H), with an angle of approximately 105° in liquid water, and a slightly larger angle in ice.

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Primary Mineral

A mineral that hasn't changed chemically since its formation, often from molten rock, and usually found in sand and silt.

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Secondary Mineral

A mineral formed from the weathering of a primary mineral. This is like a mineral that underwent a change because of the environment.

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Soil Organic Matter (SOM)

The organic parts of soil, mostly decayed plant and animal material, minus living organisms. Often called Humus

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Inorganic Components

The non-living components of soil, such as minerals. They are >90% of the solid material.

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Mineral

A natural, non-living substance with a specific chemical structure and defined properties.

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Ozone Layer

A layer in the Earth's atmosphere that absorbs most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation, protecting life.

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Cyanobacteria

Early, microscopic organisms that produced oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis, contributing to the Earth's early atmosphere.

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Water's Polarity

Water molecules have an uneven distribution of charge, with oxygen being slightly negative and hydrogen slightly positive, leading to strong attractions between molecules.

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Usable Fresh Water

Water that is suitable for drinking, agriculture, and industrial use, primarily from surface water and groundwater.

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Water Pollutants

Substances that can harm water quality, causing physical, chemical, or biological changes to a water body.

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Point Source Pollution

Pollution that comes from a specific, identifiable source, such as a factory or sewage treatment plant.

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Non-Point Source Pollution

Pollution that comes from a widespread area, such as agricultural runoff or urban stormwater runoff.

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Study Notes

The Chemistry of the Environment

  • Our environment encompasses air, land, water, and climate
  • Chemistry is crucial for understanding, monitoring, protecting, and improving the environment
  • Chemists develop tools to measure and track pollution
  • They study how climate has changed over time

Formation of the Atmosphere

  • Primitive Atmosphere (4.5 billion years ago): Primarily hydrogen and helium, with ammonia and methane
  • Strong Solar Winds: Removed the early atmosphere due to the lack of a magnetic field
  • Secondary Atmosphere (formation of the solid crust and active volcanoes): Primarily water vapor, carbon dioxide, ammonia
  • Condensation and Ocean Formation: Water vapor cooled, clouds formed, and oceans absorbed significant carbon dioxide
  • Nitrogen Formation: Ammonia broke down to create nitrogen through sunlight
  • Other Gases: Hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, and chlorine
  • Oxidizing Atmosphere: Formation of oxygen from the photochemical dissociation of water vapor, though the amount produced is negligible
  • Photosynthesis: Cyanobacteria released significant oxygen as a byproduct of this process

Importance of Atmospheric Gases

  • Nitrogen: Essential for all living systems, involved in the nitrogen cycle.
  • Oxygen: Fundamental for life, exchanged between the atmosphere and biosphere through photosynthesis and respiration.

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Chapter 3: Chemistry of the Environment PDF

Description

Explore the intricate relationship between chemistry and the environment. This quiz covers the formation of the atmosphere from primitive to secondary states, examining the gases involved and their significance. Understand how chemistry is essential for monitoring and protecting our planet.

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