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CIE IGCSE Chemistry Your notes
10.2 Air Quality & Climate
Contents
10.2.1 Air
10.2.2 Effects of Greenhouse Gases
10.2.3 Reducing the Effects of Environmental Issues
10.2.4 Photosynthesis
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10.2.1 Air
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The Composition of Air
The chart below shows the approximate percentages by volume of the main gases in unpolluted,
dry air:
Pie chart showing the composition of clean dry air
Uses of air
The gases available in the air have many important applications
The noble gases are used in many applications, e.g. helium is used to fill balloons, argon is used in
tungsten light bulbs, krypton is used in lasers for eye surgery
Oxygen is used in steel making, welding and breathing apparatus
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Nitrogen is used in food packaging, the production of ammonia and in the production of silicon
chips
Oxygen and nitrogen are separated from the air by fractional distillation Your notes
Investigating the percentage of oxygen in air
The percentage of oxygen in the air can be investigated by passing a known quantity of air over a
metal
The oxygen in the air will react with the metal, forming a metal oxide
The oxygen will be removed from the air and the volume of the air with the oxygen removed can be
measured
An example of the apparatus that can be used to investigate this is shown below:
Method:
Heat the copper using a Bunsen burner
Push the plunger of the syringe containing air, forcing the air into the other plunger until all of the air
has transferred
Push the air back from the now filled plunger to the other plunger
Repeat this several times for about 3 minutes
The copper will turn black as copper reacts with the oxygen in the air and copper oxide is
produced
Allow the apparatus to cool
Ensure all the gas is in one syringe and record the volume of gas
The percentage of oxygen in the air can be calculated from the results
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Worked example
Your notes
In the experiment above, the starting volume of air was 50.0 cm3 of air and the final volume of air
was 39.5 cm3
Calculate the percentage of oxygen in the air.
Step 1 - calculate the volume of oxygen in 50.0 cm3 of air
volume of oxygen in air = starting volume - final volume
= 50.0 - 39.5 = 10.5 cm3
Step 2 - calculate the percentage of oxygen in air
volume of oxygen in air
Percentage of oxygen in air = × 100
starting volume of air
10 . 5
= × 100
50 . 0
= 21.0 %
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Air Pollution
In addition to the gases present naturally in our atmosphere, other gases are present due to Your notes
human activities and are classed as air pollutants
Carbon dioxide
Sources: complete combustion of carbon-containing fuels such as fossil fuels, e.g. the
complete combustion of methane:
CH4 + O 2 → CO 2 + 2H2 O
Adverse effects: increases global warming, which leads to climate change
Carbon monoxide
Sources: incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels such as fossil fuels, e.g.
incomplete combustion of gasoline:
C 8H18 + 9O 2 → 5CO + 2CO 2 + 9H2 O
Adverse effects: toxic, combining with haemoglobin in the blood and prevents it from carrying
oxygen
Particulates
Sources: incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels such as fossil fuels can also
produce particulates of carbon (soot), e.g the incomplete combustion of methane can produce
CO and C:
2CH4 + 3O 2 → 2CO + 4H2 O
CH4 + O 2 → C + 2H2 O
Adverse effects: respiratory problems and cancer
Methane
Sources: waste gases from digestive processes of animals, decomposition of vegetation,
bacterial action in swamps, rice paddy fields and landfill sites
Adverse effects: increases global warming, which leads to climate change
Oxides of nitrogen
Sources: reaction of nitrogen with oxygen in the presence of high temperatures, e.g. in car
engines, high-temperature furnaces and when lightning occurs. It is also a product of bacterial
action in the soil
Adverse effects:
Produces photochemical smog
Dissolves in rain to form acid rain which causes corrosion to metal structures, buildings and
statues made of carbonate rocks, damage to aquatic organisms. Pollutes crops and water
supplies, irritates lungs, throats and eyes and causes respiratory problems
Sulfur dioxide
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Sources: combustion of fossil fuels containing sulfur compounds. Power stations are a major
source of sulfur dioxide
Adverse effects: dissolves in rain to form acid rain with similar effects as the acid rain caused by Your notes
oxides of nitrogen
How acid rain is produced
Exam Tip
Complete and incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons produce different products.
Complete combustion occurs in excess oxygen and produces CO 2 and H2 O. Incomplete
combustion occurs in oxygen-deficient conditions and produces CO, H2 O and sometimes
particulates of carbon (soot).
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10.2.2 Effects of Greenhouse Gases
Your notes
Effects of Greenhouse Gases
EXTENDED
The Sun emits energy in the form of radiation that enters the Earth’s atmosphere
Some thermal energy is reflected from the Earth's surface
Most thermal energy is absorbed and re-emitted back from the Earth’s surface
The energy passes through the atmosphere where some thermal energy passes straight through
and is emitted into space
But some thermal energy is absorbed by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and
methane and is re-emitted in all directions
This reduces the thermal energy lost into space and traps it within the Earth’s atmosphere,
keeping the Earth warm
This process is known as the greenhouse effect
As the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increases due to human activity,
more thermal energy is trapped within the Earth's atmosphere causing the Earth’s average
temperature to rise (global warming)
This process is called the enhanced greenhouse effect
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Your notes
Diagram showing how the greenhouse effect occurs
Consequences of global warming:
Climate change due to the increase in Earth’s temperature
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Water levels will rise as glaciers melt because of high temperatures, causing flooding in low-lying
countries
Extinction of species due to the destruction of natural habitats Your notes
Migration of species as they will move to areas that are more habitable (no droughts)
Spread of diseases caused by warmer climate
Loss of habitat due to climate change (animals that live on glaciers or in low-lying countries)
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10.2.3 Reducing the Effects of Environmental Issues
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Reducing the Effects of Environmental Issues
The effects of climate change and acid rain are far reaching and strategies are needed to reduce
their impact
Dealing with Climate Change
The production of greenhouse gases needs to be reduced drastically to avoid or at least slow
climate change
CO 2 emissions can be reduced by using hydrogen and renewable energy supplies such as solar
or wind energy instead of burning fossil fuels
Reducing the amount of livestock farming would decrease the methane emissions produced
from digestion in animals
Planting more trees would remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
Dealing with Acid Rain
Acid rain is caused by oxides of nitrogen and sulfur dioxide
The effects of acid rain can be reduced by decreasing the amount of oxides of nitrogen and
sulfur dioxide that are produced
Catalytic convertors in vehicles can be used to remove oxides of nitrogen
Emissions of sulfur dioxide can be reduced by either:
Using fuels which contain low levels of sulfur
Flue gas desulfurisation - this involves reacting the sulfur dioxide emitted from burning fuels
containing sulfur, with calcium oxide therefore removing it from the flue gas
Exam Tip
There are many other ways that carbon dioxide, methane, oxides of nitrogen and sulfur dioxide
can be reduced, e.g. by reducing energy usage to reduce CO 2 emissions but it is only the
examples stated above that you need to know.
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Oxides of Nitrogen in Car Engines
EXTENDED Your notes
Oxides of nitrogen
These compounds (NO and NO 2 ) are formed when nitrogen and oxygen react in the high
pressure and temperature conditions of internal combustion engines and blast furnaces
Exhaust gases also contain unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide
Cars are fitted with catalytic converters which form a part of their exhaust systems
Their function is to render these exhaust gases harmless
Catalytic converters
They contain a series of transition metal catalysts including platinum and rhodium
The metal catalysts are in a honeycomb within the converter to increase the surface area
available for reaction
A series of redox reactions occurs which neutralises the pollutant gases
Carbon monoxide is oxidised to carbon dioxide:
2CO + O 2 → 2CO 2
Oxides of nitrogen are reduced to N2 gas:
2NO → N2 + O 2
2NO 2 → N2 + 2O 2
A single reaction can summarise the reaction of nitrogen monoxide and carbon monoxide within
a catalytic convertor:
2NO + 2CO → N2 + 2CO 2
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Your notes
Catalytic converters are designed to reduce the polluting gases produced in car exhausts
Unburned hydrocarbons can also be oxidised to carbon dioxide and water:
C 8H18 + 12½O 2 → 8CO 2 + 9H2 O
Exam Tip
Whilst carbon dioxide does not have direct adverse effects to our health, it is a greenhouse gas
and is a major contributor to climate change
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10.2.4 Photosynthesis
Your notes
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is an endothermic reaction in which energy is transferred from the environment
to the chloroplasts in green plants to make glucose
The reactants for this reaction are carbon dioxide and water
Glucose and oxygen are produced
Chlorophyll (found in chloroplasts) and energy from light are required for this reaction to occur
The word equation for photosynthesis is:
Carbon dioxide and water producing glucose and oxygen during photosynthesis
Symbol Equation for Photosynthesis
EXTENDED
Symbol Equation for Photosynthesis
The balanced symbol equation for photosynthesis is:
Balanced symbol equation for photosynthesis
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