C17 Air and Water

BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
Section 2: Chemistry
Topic C17: Air and Water
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Topic C17: Air and Water
Gases in Air
Air is made up of a variety of gases in

proportions shown in the pie chart.
● Water can be present (~5% max)
Uses of the gases

● Liquid nitrogen is used to cool to low
temperatures (e.g. sperm in hospitals)/
● Gaseous nitrogen is used to prevent
food going off in sealed containers.
● In industry nitrogen is used to make
ammonia – which then makes
fertilisers.
● Oxygen is used in medicine – e.g. for
those with reduced breathing ability.
● It is also used in industry to remove iron impurities.
Separation by fractional distillation
We use fractional distillation to separate the gases so we can use them. The process is as
follows:
o The gases are cooled to temperatures of below -200OC.
o This is achieved by increasing the pressure to 150x air pressure
then passing over pipes of cold water before releasing the pressure.
o This causes the liquids to condense as liquids.
o Before this stage CO2 and H2O are removed as they would solidify,
breaking the machinery used.
o The mixture of nitrogen, oxygen and argon is then warmed slowly.
o Nitrogen (b.p. -196oC) boils off first and so is collected at the top of the
column.
o Argon (b.p -186) is next in the column.
o Oxygen is tapped off as a liquid at the bottom.
Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse gases are gases which trap heat in our atmosphere.

● We need a certain level of them for high enough temperatures
to maintain life on Earth.
● Methane, water vapour, and carbon dioxide are examples.
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Causes of Methane:
Rice fields Cattle farming Landfills
Causes of CO2:
Burning Fossil Fuels Deforestation
For BMAT you need to know the origins and effects of gaseous pollutants such as carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide. These are summarised in the
table below:
Gas Sources/Sinks Effects

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Sources: Gas fires, gas boilers, Poisonous gas
vehicle engines
Sources – respiration, decay,
escaping from being dissolved in
water, fossil fuel burning,
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Increased global temperature
Sinks – Photosynthesis, dissolving
into water
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Sources: Fuel impurities Poisonous gas, acid rain, triggers
asthma
Nitrous Oxides (NOx) Sources: Reaction of air in engines Toxic gas, acid rain, triggers
asthma
Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless.
➔ It binds to haemoglobin more strongly than oxygen reducing its ability to bind to O2.
➔ Exposure leads to headaches and drowsiness and eventually death.
Sulfur dioxide is also colourless.

➔ It can cause acid rain which has aesthetic effects by corroding stonework and effects
on wildlife by increasing leaching of minerals from soil and harming marine life and
other animals.
Nitrous oxides (or Oxides of Nitrogen) also cause acid rain.
Drinking Water
To make it safe for consumption, water is treated with Cl2 and

F-.
● Chlorine kills harmful bacteria.
● Fluoride reduces the chance of tooth decay.
BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
Section 2: Chemistry
Questions by Topic
C17 - Air and Water
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C17: Air and Water - Question by Topic
(Mark Scheme and explanations at the end)
1 Which of the following gases forms the third largest percentage in dry air?
A Oxygen
B Nitrogen
C Argon
D Carbon Dioxide
E None of the above
2 Which of the following is not a cause of methane production?
A Rice fields
B Landfills
C Cattle farming
D Deforestation
3 The following statements are each regarding greenhouse gases.
Which of the following statements are true?
1 Carbon dioxide is produced by faulty gas boilers.

2 Carbon monoxide can dissolve into seas when water temperature rises.
3 Oxides of nitrogen are the only source of acid rain.
A 1 only
B 2 only
C 3 only
D 1 and 2 only
E 1 and 3 only
F 2 and 3 only
G None of the statements
4 Which of the following describes the additions to drinking water?
Atom/Ion Purpose Atom/Ion Purpose
A F2 Kill pathogens Cl- Improve dental

health.
B F- Kill pathogens Cl2 Improve dental

health
C Cl2 Kill pathogens F- Improve dental

health
D Cl- Kill pathogens F2 Improve dental

health
5 Which of the following is true about the separation of air?
A Releasing the pressure causes the liquids to heat up.

B Nitrogen has a higher boiling point than oxygen.
C Separated oxygen has useful industrial applications.
D Gaseous nitrogen is used to cool sperm in hospitals.
E Liquid nitrogen is used in sealed food preservation.
Answers and Explanations
1 C is the answer. Argon forms the third largest component of air.
Nitrogen forms the largest percentage of air – 78.1%

Oxygen forms 20.9%
Argon forms 0.9%
Carbon dioxide forms 0.04%
2 D is the answer.
Deforestation is a cause of CO2 increasing rather than methane production.

A to C each causes the production of methane.
3 G is the answer. None of the statements are true.
Statement 1 is false because faulty boilers produce CO not CO2

Statement 2 is false because rising sea temperatures cause an increase in the
adsorption of CO2 not
CO.
Statement 3 is false as sulfur dioxide is another cause of acid rain.
4 C is the answer
Chlorine is added to prevent bacterial growth and fluoride ions are added to prevent
teeth decay.
A is incorrect as it gets both the ion/atom state and the purpose wrong.
B is incorrect because it gets the purpose wrong.
D is incorrect because it gets the ion/atom state wrong.
5 C is the answer - Oxygen can be used industrially to purify iron.
A is incorrect because this is a key cooling step in the fractional distillation of air,
causing the gases to condense.
B is incorrect as nitrogen boils off first, showing it must have a lower boiling point
than oxygen.
D is incorrect as this is a use of liquid nitrogen.
E is incorrect as this is a use of gaseous nitrogen.

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BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)

This work by PMT Education is licensed under https://bit.ly/pmt-cc

Air is made up of a variety of gases in

Uses of the gases

Separation by fractional distillation

Greenhouse gases​ ​are gases which trap heat in our atmosphere.

Rice fields Cattle farming Landfills

Burning Fossil Fuels Deforestation

Gas Sources/Sinks Effects

Sulfur dioxide​ is also colourless.

Nitrous oxides​ (or Oxides of Nitrogen) also cause acid rain.

To make it safe for consumption, water is treated with Cl​2 and

This work by PMT Education is licensed under https://bit.ly/pmt-cc

2 Which of the following is not a cause of methane production?

3 The following statements are each regarding greenhouse gases.

Which of the following statements are true?

1 ​Carbon dioxide is produced by faulty gas boilers.

Atom/Ion Purpose Atom/Ion Purpose

A F​2 Kill pathogens Cl​- Improve dental

B F​- Kill pathogens Cl​2 Improve dental

C Cl​2 Kill pathogens F​- Improve dental

D Cl​- Kill pathogens F​2 Improve dental

5 Which of the following is true about the separation of air?

A Releasing the pressure causes the liquids to heat up.

1 C is the answer.​ ​Argon forms the third largest component of air.

Nitrogen​ forms the largest percentage of air – 78.1%

Deforestation is a cause of CO​2​ increasing rather than methane production.

3 G is the answer​.​ None of the statements are true.

Statement 1 is false ​because faulty boilers produce CO not CO​2

5 C is the answer ​- Oxygen can be used industrially to purify iron.

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Greenhouse gases are gases which trap heat in our atmosphere.

Sulfur dioxide is also colourless.

Nitrous oxides (or Oxides of Nitrogen) also cause acid rain.

To make it safe for consumption, water is treated with Cl2 and

1 Carbon dioxide is produced by faulty gas boilers.

A F2 Kill pathogens Cl- Improve dental

B F- Kill pathogens Cl2 Improve dental

C Cl2 Kill pathogens F- Improve dental

D Cl- Kill pathogens F2 Improve dental

1 C is the answer. Argon forms the third largest component of air.

Nitrogen forms the largest percentage of air – 78.1%

Deforestation is a cause of CO2 increasing rather than methane production.

3 G is the answer. None of the statements are true.

Statement 1 is false because faulty boilers produce CO not CO2

5 C is the answer - Oxygen can be used industrially to purify iron.