Composition and Stratification of the Atmosphere
A1. Which three gases constitute most of the earth’s atmosphere?
A2. What range of altitudes constitute the troposphere? the stratosphere?
A3. Describe the stratification of the atmosphere. Consider the basis on which stratification is achieved, and the names, features, and predominant chemical species and chemical process which occur in each of the strata.
A4. What phenomenon is responsible for the temperature maximum at the boundary of the stratosphere and the mesosphere?
Energy and Mass Transfer in the Atmosphere
B1. Outline how the interactive effects of the circulation of air masses, the evaporation and condensation of water, and the redistribution of solar energy results in the weather pattern of a particular area.
B2. Discuss the causes and effects of the El-Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
Carbon Dioxide and Global Climate
C1. Explain in terms of the mechanism involved what is meant by the greenhouse effect.
C2. Is water vapor a greenhouse gas? If so, why is it not usually present on lists of such substances?
C3. What is meant by the term “window” as applied to the emission of IR from the Earth’s surface? What is the range of wavelengths of this window?
C4. Why are CFCs such as CF2Cl2 and CFCl3 such effective greenhouse gases?
C5. What are the four important trace gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect?
C6. What charcterisric molecular properties of H2O and CO2cause their absorption of IR radiation?
C7. Describe the two opposing effects on climate resulting from combustion of coal with high sulfur content.
C8. The amount of CH4 emitted anually is estimated to be 25 to 50 times greater than the amount of N2O emiited annually, yet the atmospheric concentration of CH4 is estimated to be only 6 times higher. Explain.
Chemical and Photochemical Reactions in the Atmosphere
D1. The enthalpy change for the decomposition of ozone into O2 and atomic oxygen is +105 kJ/mol. What is the longest wavelength of light that could dissociate ozone in this manner? Calculate the longest wavelength of light that decomposes ozone to O2 and O*, given that the excited state of atomic oxygen lies 190 kJ/mol above the ground state?
D2. What is (a) an excited state (b) a quanta of light (c) a Dobson unit (d) a free radical (e) steady state concentration (f) a tropospheric sink?
D3. What is the two-step mechanism by which the hydroxyl free radical is produced in clean air?
D4. What two chemical species are most generally responsible for the removal of hydroxyl radical from the unpolluted troposphere?
D5. By what mechanism is formaldehyde, H2CO, decomposed in air?
D6. What function does a third body play in an atmospheric chemical reaction?
D7. Discuss, in general terms, the reactivity and stability of free radicals and electronically excited species in the upper atmosphere.
Stratospheric Ozone
E1. Which atmospheric gas is primarily responsible for filtering sunlight in the 120-220 nm region? Which gas absorbs most of the sun’s rays in the 220-320 region?
E2. Write the equation for the chemical reaction by which ozone is formed in the stratosphere. What are the sources of the different forms of oxygen used here as reactants?
E3. Write the two reactions that, aside from the catalysed reactions, contribute most significantly to ozone destruction in the stratosphere.
E4. Explain why the density of ozone peaks at 25 – 30 km altitude, yet the maximum temperature occurs at about 50 km.
E5. What are the two steps and the overall reaction by which species X such as Cl. catalytically destroy ozone in the middle and upper stratosphere?
E6. What is the current estimate of the loss in stratospheric ozone per decade?
E7. What is the principal four step mechanism by which chlorine destroys ozone in the spring over Antarctica?
E8. Describe the process by which chlorine becomes activated in the Antarctic ozone-hole phenomenon.
E9. Explain why ozone holes have not yet been observed over the Arctic.
E10. Explain why ozone destruction via the reaction of O3 with atomic oxygen does not occur to a significant extent in the lower atmosphere.
E11. Deduce the formulae for the compounds with the following code numbers: (a) 12 (b)113 (c)123 (d) 134.
E12. Deduce the code numbers for each of the following compounds: (a) CH3CCl3 (b) CCl4 (c) CH3CFCl2
E13. What are the effects to human health that scientists believe will result from ozone depletion?
Particulates in the Atmosphere
F1. Suppose a cubic particle with sides of length 3k is split up into 27 particles with sides of length k. Calculate the relative increase in surface area.
F2. Per unit mass, why are smaller particles more effective catalysts for atmospheric chemical reactions?
F3. Define the term “aerosol” and differentiate between “coarse” and “fine” particulates. What are the usual origins of these types of atmospheric particles. Why are coarse particles usually of less danger to human health than fine particles?
F4. What would the designation PM25 mean?
F5. Why are aerosols in the 0.1 to 1 µm size range especially effective in scattering light?
F6. Name and define two types of particulates found in the atmosphere, and indicate the sort of physical or chemical processes from which they may be formed.
F7. What are some of the environmental effects of atmospheric particulates?
F8. Discuss the control of particulate emissions.
Air Pollution: Acid rain
G1. Calculate the pH of rain water in equilibrium with SO2 in a polluted air mass for which the sulfur dioxide concentration is 1 ppm (ie., 1 x 10-6 atm), given that KH = 1 M atm-1 and Ka(H2SO3) = 1.7 x 10-2 M.
G2. What are the names and main sources of the primary pollutants that produce acid rain?
G3. What is the rationale for classifying most acid rain as secondary pollution?
G4. Outline a general mechanism for the formation of acid rain.
G5. Describe the environmental effects of acid precipitation.
G6. How may acid rain be controlled?
G7. What are the main anthropogenic sources of sulfur dioxide? Describe the strategies by which these emissions can be reduced, providing chemical equations where appropriate.
G8. Using chemical equations, describe how acid rain can be neutralised by limestone.
Photochemical Smog
H1. What are the names and main sources of the primary pollutants that produce photochemical smog?
H2. Outline a general mechanism for the formation of photochemical smog.
H3. What is the main species responsible for the oxidation of NO to NO2 in a smoggy atmosphere?
H4. Why does the production of high concentrations of NO2 lead to an increase in ozone levels in air? Why does this not occur if much NO is present?
H5. What is the fate of NO2 molecules that photodissociate? that react with RC(O)OO. radicals?
H6. What may be said about the time and place of the occurrence of maximum ozone levels from smog in respect to the origin of the primary pollutants that result in smog formation?
H7. What are the environmental effects of photochemical smog?
H8. How may photochemical smog be controlled?
H9. Why are two catalytic reactors necessary to control all major automotive exhaust pollutants?
For full answers, place your order now!
What We Offer:
• On-time delivery guarantee
• PhD-level writers
• Automatic plagiarism check
• 100% money-back guarantee
• 100% Privacy and Confidentiality
• High Quality custom-written papers
