CH450 INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Mentor: Dr. Kabaso Kalebaila

Email: kkalebai@gmail.com
School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Chemistry Department
GreenHouse Effect and Global Warming
 What controls climate?
• Energy from the Sun – Radiation
• Consider the 4 inner planets of the solar
system:
Mercury Venus Earth Mars

S
U
N

-2
Receives
2250 W m 660 W m-2
Scales with 342 W m -2 150 W m-2
1 solar radiation
distance 2
 What is Insolation?
❑ The Sun’s energy reaches Earth through Radiation- heat traveling
through Space.
❑ The incoming solar radiation (energy from the Sun) that reaches
Earth is called
insolation.
❑ The most intense insolation occurs as follows:
Time of Day: Noon
Time of Year: June 21 (NH)
Where: Near the Equator
 How much solar radiation reaches Earth?
❑ The earth’s surface only absorbs 51% of incoming solar
radiation
❑ Energy is transferred from the earth’s surface by radiation,
conduction, convection, radiation, evaporation, & water
condensation.
❑ The sun’s heat and earth’s energy transfer is a major cause
of weather .
 Greenhouse Effect
❑ Greenhouses are used to grow plants, mainly in the colder seasons.
❑ The glass panels of the greenhouse allows in light but prevents heat
from escaping.
❑ This causes the greenhouse to heat up and keeps the plants warm
enough to live in the winter.
❑ The greenhouse effect was discovered by Joseph Fourier in 1824.
❑ The Greenhouse Effect works like a Greenhouse
 What is Greenhouse Effect?
❑ The process by which atmosphere gases absorb heat
energy from the sun and prevent heat from leaving our
atmosphere.
❑ Greenhouse gases trap heat energy and keep it close to
earth.
❑ The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature that the
Earth experiences because certain gases in the
atmosphere (e.g. H 2O, CO2, and N2O) trap energy from the
sun.

❑ Without these gases, heat would escape back into space

and Earth’s average temperature would be about 15◦C or
colder.
❑ Greenhouse effect is vital: without the greenhouse effect,
the Earth would not be warm enough for humans to live.
 What is greenhouse gases?
❑ Greenhouse gases are components of the atmosphere that
contribute to the greenhouse effect.
❑ Some greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere,
while others result from human activities.
❑ Human activities include that lead to higher carbon dioxide
concentrations:
- Burning of fossil fuels and - Deforestation
 The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Effect
Earth’s atmosphere is slightly warmer than what it should be due to
direct solar heating because of a mild case of greenhouse effect…

• The ground is heated by visible and (some) infrared light from

the Sun.
• The heated surface emits infrared light.
• Earth’s atmospheric N 2 and O 2 are not good greenhouse gas.
• The small amount of greenhouse gases (H 2O, CO2) traps (absorb
and re-emit) the infrared radiation, increasing the temperature of
the atmosphere.
• The result is a mild greenhouse effect…not too hot, and not too
cold.
 Greenhouse Gases
❑ The primary components of Earth’s atmosphere, N2 and O 2 do not
have absorption in the IR wavelength range, therefore, do not
have a significant role in setting the surface temperature of the
planet…

❑ Greenhouse gas are efficient in absorbing IR light…

The most important greenhouse gases are:
Water vapor: H2O.
Carbon Dioxide: CO 2
Methane: CH 4

❑ The most abundant greenhouse gas in Earth’s atmosphere is water

vapor.
❑ Most of the greenhouse heating of Earth’s atmosphere is due to
Water vapor absorption of IR radiation emitted by Earth, and then
transferring the energy to the surrounding air molecule
 Is the Greenhouse Effect
Good or Bad?
❑ It is necessary for life (good)- it keeps our climate toasty warm and
prevents it from fluctuating (changing) too much.
❑ It is bad when: there are too many greenhouse gasses and the
climate gets warmer (global warming)
❑ Global warming is an increase in average global temperatures
and is caused by an increase in Greenhouse Gases in the
atmosphere
An increase in Greenhouse gases is caused by ?
• Carbon Dioxide is added to the atmosphere when fossil fuels
(coal, oil, and natural gas) are burnt for transportation, factories,
and electricity.
• Deforestation increases the amount of CO2 in the air because in
photosynthesis plants take in CO2 and remove it from the
atmosphere, they make oxygen.
• Volcanoes, fires, also add CO 2 to the atmosphere.
• Methane is produced when garbage is buried in landfills, from
animal waste (poop), and from other natural sources.
 Global Warming
There is a gradual increase in the average temperature of
the earth’s atmosphere in the last 100 years: it has risen
about 1°C since 1900

• Are human activities causing global warming?

• What other (non-human) factors can cause global
warming?
• How does global warming affect our life?
Effect of Increased GHG: Global Warming
Global temperaturel Rising

Rise in global temperatures concomitant with rise in CO 2 levels

 Effect of Increased GHG: Global Warming
1. How much have global temperatures changed between 1980 and
2000?
2. How much are global temperatures expected to change between
2000 and 2100?
Effect of Increased GHG: Global Warming
Sea Level Rising
Global warming may make the sea level become higher
because warmer weather makes the glacier melts.
How much has sea level gone up since 1990?
Effect of Increased GHG: Global Warming
Stronger storms
Hurricanes get strength from warm ocean water. A
warmer climate causes warmer ocean currents results
stronger and devastating storms.
 Solutions to Global Warming Phenomena
Save Electricity
Whenever we use electricity, we help put greenhouse gases into
the air. Therefore, by turning off lights, the television, and the
computer when you are not using them, you can help a lot.
Plant Trees: Forestation
Planting trees is fun and a great way to reduce greenhouse
gases. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the
air.
Recycle
Recycle cans, bottles, plastic bags, and newspapers. When you
recycle, you send less trash to the landfill and you help save
natural resources, like trees, oil, and elements such as
aluminum.
Use cleaner energy sources: such as renewable sources like solar
energy, wind energy and hydro energy
The Ozone Layer: Formation of Ozone (O3)
 The Ozone Layer: Formation of Ozone (O3)
❑ Ozone [O3(g)] is a pale blue gas (exists in the
stratosphere of our atmosphere as the ozone layer).
❑ The ozone layer helps shield life from ultraviolet
radiation (UV), which helps minimize the breakage of
DNA.
❑ UV is a form of electromagnetic radiation that causes
tanning and sunburns and can lead to skin cancer.
❑ Nearly all of UV-A ( 315-400 nm, not harmful) passes through the
ozone layer and reaches earth
❑ The high energetic UV-B (280-315 nm) is absorbed by the ozone to
create oxygen
❑ The most energetic and harmful UV-C (100-280 nm) is all absorbed by
O 3 and does not reach earth.
 The Ozone Layer: Formation of Ozone (O3)
❑ It is formed from atmospheric oxygen by the
absorption of ultraviolet radiation of the right energy
(wavelength 250 nm).
O2 => 2O
O + O 2 => O 3

❑ Ozone itself undergoes photodissociation with 215-295

nm ultraviolet radiation.
O 3 => O 2 + O
O+O3=>2O2

❑ Thus, ozone is constantly created and destroyed

maintaining a steady-state concentration of ozone.
❑ The above reaction is responsible for the vital
screening effect (UV shielding) of ozone.
 The Ozone Layer: Formation of Ozone (O3)
❑ Ozone can also be formed in the lower part of the
atmosphere.

❑ It is formed by reactions between nitrogen oxides and

hydrocarbons under sunlight,

❑ Or by electric sparks which occur in car engines or

electrical appliances like photocopiers.

❑ In nature, the gas can be generated during lightning.

 Depletion of Ozone in Stratosphere
❑ The ozone layer is becoming thin due to the gases
called CFCS. (Chlorofluorocarbons)
❑ The depletion was first identified in 1985 over
Antarctica
❑ The use of CFC gases started in 1930s in refrigerators,
air conditioners, and for cleaning of computers.
❑ These gases do not burn and are not poisonous.
However, CFCS are known to spoil the ozone layer of
the atmosphere in a systematic way.
 Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
❑ Production
Man-made compounds: by halogen exchanges of
chlorinated methanes and ethane such as shown below:
HCCl3 + 2HF → HCF 2Cl + 2HCl
chlorodifluoromethane
❑ The bromochlorofluorocarbons (BrFCs) are also produced
as shown:
CF3CH 2Cl + Br 2 → CF 3CHBrCl +
❑ PropertiesHBr
of CFCs:
a. Low toxicity, low reactivity, low flammability of the
CFCs and
HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) make them useful
compounds.

❑ Applications of CFCs:
a. Refrigerants
b. Propellants in medicine
 Depletion of Ozone in Stratosphere
❑ CFC is split by sun`s UV light releasing Cl atoms into
ozone layer:
❑ The Cl atoms reacts with O 3 producing O 2 and OCl

Cl + O3 → O 2 + OCl

❑ OCl decomposes to release Cl and the process continues

(chain):
OCl → O + Cl
The Ozone Layer: Depletion of Ozone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU6pxSNDPhs
The Ozone Layer: Depletion of Ozone
 Effects of Ozone Depletion
Depletion of ozone layer allows entering of UV rays from sun
into the earth’s atmosphere which is associated with a number
of health related and environmental issues.
❖ Skin Cancer: Exposure to UV rays from sun can lead to
increased risk for developing of several types of skin cancers
such as malignant melanoma.
❖ Eye Damage: Direct exposure to UV rays can lead to cataract
problems.
❖ Damage to Immune system: Increased exposure to UV rays
can lead to weakening of the response of immune system.
❖ Aging of skin: Exposure to UV rays can lead to acceleration
of the aging process of skin.
❖ Respiratory Problems: exposure to UV rays can lead to
difficulty in breathing, chest pain, and throat irritation.
❖ Disrupts marine ecosystem: UV rays : affects the planktons
that are vital in the food chain and oceanic carbon cycle.
❖ Affect the plant growth: UV rays alters the growth
 Remediation of Ozone Layer
❑ Montreal Protocol (1987)
– Reduction of CFCs
– Replaced with HCFCs, these have much lower ozone
depleting abilities but HCFC is a greenhouse gas.
❑ Phase out of all ozone destroying chemicals is
underway globally
❑ Satellite pictures in 2000 indicated that ozone
layer was recovering
❑ Full recovery will not occur until 2050