Demetria, Karis B.

- BSChe-BCHE 111/L-2998

Let’s Check

1. What are the compositions of air?

- In the present day, most of the gases in the air are nitrogen (N2) and oxygen
(O2), while very trace amounts of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and noble gases
including argon, neon, xenon, and krypton are also present.
2. Differentiate climate from the weather.
- The key distinction between climate and weather is that the latter term is used
to describe transitory atmospheric phenomena like rain, thunderstorms, winds,
sunshine, and similar phenomena that typically last and/or change every hour,
day, month, or occasionally even year. The former, however, refers to long-
term weather patterns or changes in a certain region, such as tropical climates,
dryness, etc. in at least 30 years period of time.
3. What are examples of greenhouse gases? Discuss each.
- Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, naturally occurring water vapor, and
fluorinated gases, which are man-made, are the primary greenhouse gases.
Carbon dioxide occurs both naturally and results from man-made activities.
The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is a result of human-related
emissions. The combustion of fossil fuels like coal, gasoline, and other non-
renewable resources typically produces it as a byproduct. The next
hydrocarbon gas is methane, which is produced by both natural and artificial
processes like farming and agriculture. Its emissions are caused by land use,
organic waste decomposition in landfills, livestock, and other agricultural
processes. Contrary to that, it is valued for producing energy. The latter,
however, is less common in the atmosphere than CO2 and has a lifespan of
only 12 years.
In the atmosphere, nitrous oxide
(N2O) is produced naturally as a byproduct of the nitrogen cycle. Additionally,
it is released through industrial, agricultural, and land-use processes, the
burning of solid waste and fossil fuels, as well as during wastewater treatment.
On the other hand, the Earth's atmosphere also contains naturally occurring
water vapor. However, more water is evaporated from various ground storage
and water bodies as the atmosphere's temperature rises. The amount of
thermal infrared radiation radiated from the earth is absorbed greater when
there is a higher concentration of water vapor, thus warming the atmosphere.
Fluorinated gases are the last. It is released in lower amounts than other
greenhouse gases, but what they have little in volume, they compensate for in
intensity and prolonged atmospheric lifetimes. Examples of these include the
synthetic, potent greenhouse gases hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons,
sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride, which are released from a range of
domestic, commercial, and industrial applications and operations.
Let’s Analyze

1. The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's early atmosphere decreased

because it was used by plants and algae for photosynthesis, dissolved in the
oceans, and formed fossil fuels. Give one other way that the amount of carbon
dioxide in the Earth's early atmosphere decreased.
- By storing carbon in the soil or creating soil carbon, which is important in
agriculture because it can improve soil health and crop yields, carbon
dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere can be reduced in yet another manner. It
can be accomplished by utilizing compost to increase yields while storing
the carbon content of the compost in the soil, as well as by planting cover
crops on barren areas that can prolong photosynthesis. Other strategies to
reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide include direct air capture, carbon
mineralization, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).
2. A student burned hydrocarbon fuel and collected the products of combustion
by placing a funnel over the burning fuel. Air was sucked through the funnel
using a pump. The student saw that soot had collected inside the funnel.
Explain why soot forms.
- Soot is a black flaky substance constituted of amorphous carbon. It occurred
or was created because there was not enough oxygen present in the funnel
as it was sucked using a pump.
3. A student is investigating the energy released during the combustion of different
alcohols. The student notices that a black substance forms on the bottom of the
beaker which is held above the burning fuel. What is the identity of the black
substance and why was it produced during the combustion of the alcohols?
- The black substance that formed during the combustion of the alcohols is
called soot and it is produced either because incomplete combustion had
occurred or because there was not enough oxygen present.
4. Sulfur is burned in oxygen. The gas produced is then mixed with water which
contains some universal indicator. Describe the color change that you would
expect to see due to the indicator and explain your answer.
 - The transition of color change is from green (neutral) to red or orange
suggests the presence of an acidic material, as sulfur dioxide is one of the
main contributors to acid rain.
5. Whilst investigating the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels, a student collected
the gases released and passed them through limewater. Describe the change
in the appearance of the limewater and explain why this happens.
- The limewater gets foggy when carbon dioxide, or CO2, is added. The
limewater in the bottle will become foggy as you breathe into it. Based on
the results of the experiment, water becomes foggy or cloudy when lime
combines with CO2 to generate calcium carbonate, a white substance that
does not dissolve in water. A similar reaction will occur if you breathe CO2
into the lime water because when we exhale, we are releasing CO2 from
our body. However, because there is less CO2 in your breath, this reaction
might not happen as soon as possible.
In a Nutshell

1. The vast majority of scientists believe that human activities are causing global
warming. Describe some of the human activities which release greenhouse
gases. Suggest changes that humans could make to reduce global warming.
- The use of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and gas, particularly the use of
vehicles like jeepneys and cars, deforestation, growing livestock production,
and many more, are some of the biggest sources of carbon dioxide
emissions into the atmosphere. We will undoubtedly suffer in the future if
issues are ignored and allowed to spiral out of hand. The 3 R's (reduce,
reuse, and recycle) must be practiced, driving should be minimized, energy
should be conserved, eco-friendly choices should be made when shopping,
doing your groceries, or using renewable energy sources to generate
electricity, and most importantly, it is important to plant trees and protect
Mother Nature.
2. Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate carbon are all atmospheric
pollutants. Describe the causes and effects of these pollutants.
- Electric utilities that burn coal are the main sources of sulfur dioxide. Some
sources include cement factories, oil refineries, processing plants, and
many others. The respiratory system is typically affected, and it could irritate
the eyes. The next is nitrogen oxides, which are a byproduct of human
activity like the burning of fossil fuels, particularly those utilized in vehicles.
It can also be generated in factories, welding, explosives, and the production
of nitric acid, among other things. The latter can harm the human respiratory
system and make someone more susceptible to asthma attacks and
respiratory infections. While carbon can also occur naturally in nature, most
of the carbon in the atmosphere comes from human activities such as
burning fossil fuels for transportation, electricity, heat, and other purposes.
It might result in chaos and catastrophe on Earth by causing human-induced
climate change, air pollution, acid rain, the acidification of some water
bodies, and the melting of glaciers and polar ice.