Atmosphere & Environment Answers

Atmosphere & Environment

SECTION A

1. 78, 21, 1; argon

2. Fractional distillation
3. Carbon , respiration, photosynthesis, combustion; Respiration and combustion;
photosynthesis
4. Radiation
5. Chlorofluorocarbons; skin cancer
6. Carbon monoxide; haemoglobin; oxygen
7. Sulfur dioxide; fossil fuels
8. Nitrogen; high
9. Carbon monoxide
10. Sulfur dioxide
11. Nitric acid; sulfurous acid; sulfuric acid

SECTION B

1 D 8 D 15 D
2 A 9 A
3 D 10 D
4 C 11 C
5 A 12 B
6 B 13 C
7 A 14 C

SECTION C

1 (a) Carbon monoxide

(b) Diesel. It produces a larger mass per kg of fuel burnt of oxides of nitrogen and sulfur
dioxide. Nitrogen dioxide will react with rainwater and oxygen to form nitric acid
while sulfur dioxide will react with rainwater to form sulfurous acid which will be

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oxidised to sulfuric acid. Both sulfuric acid and nitric acid are components of acid
rain.
(c) Acid rain corrodes metal bridges and buildings, kills aquatic life, and destroys plants
by leaching important nutrients from the soil.
(d) The fuel contains hydrocarbons. When the fuel did not burn completely,
hydrocarbons are emitted.
(e) 2 NO + 2 CO N2 + 2CO2 OR 2NO2 + 4CO  N2 + 4CO2
Oxides of nitrogen will be reduced to nitrogen while carbon monoxide will be
oxidised to carbon dioxide.
(f) 2C8H18 + 25 O2  16CO2 + 18H2O
(g) No. of moles of octane = 1/24 = 0.04167
No. of moles of oxygen required = 0.04167/2 x 25 = 0.5208 mols
Volume of oxygen required = 0.5208 x 24 = 12.5 dm3
Volume of air required = 12.5 x 5 = 62.5 dm3
2 (a) (i) Nitrogen dioxide
(ii) NO2
(b) Filters out harmful UV rays from the sun and prevents skin cancer.
(c) Ozone forms photochemical smog which causes tearing of the eyes.
(d) (i) Chlorine, Fluorine, Carbon
(ii) More ultraviolet radiation will penetrate to the earth’s surface, which can cause
skin cancer and eye cataracts.
3 (a) (i) Incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuel due to insufficient supply of
oxygen
(ii) A larger amount of air is mixed with petrol in lean burn engine and hence more
complete combustion takes place.
(iii) Carbon monoxide combines with haemoglobin which plays an important role in
transporting oxygen to the rest of the body.
(b) (i) At high temperature of the car engine, nitrogen and oxygen from the
atmospheric air combine to form nitrogen oxides.

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 Atmosphere & Environment Answers

(ii) The operating temperature in lean burn engines is lower than that in normal
engines.

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