Environmental Chemistry - Section 1

Question 1

What is a fertilizer?

Answer 1

A substance that enriches the soil so that plants will grow better

Although fertilizers are beneficial for plant growth, too much can be harmful

Question 2

What are the three basic nutrient elements in fertilizers?

Answer 2

Nitrogen (N)
Phosphorus (P)
Potassium (K)

Question 3

What are pesticides?

Answer 3

Chemicals used to kill pests. A pest is an organism that harms people, crops, or structures.

Question 4

What’s a herbicide?

Answer 4

They kill or control weeds

Question 5

What is an insecticide?

Answer 5

They kill or control insects

Question 6

What is a fungicide?

Answer 6

They kill fungi

Question 7

What are some problems with pesticides?

Answer 7

Can be harmful to people and other non-pests
Might not be selective (kill non-pest species)
Can stay in the environment for too long

Question 8

What are sanitary landfills?

Answer 8

Are specially built to prevent waste chemicals from moving into surrounding soil

They may use plastic liners and/or compacted clay to prevent harmful solutions of chemicals dissolved in rainwater or groundwater from getting through

Question 9

What is sewage?

Answer 9

Is wastewater containing dissolved and undissolved materials from your kitchen, bathroom and laundry.

Question 10

When fossil fuels are burned, they release what?

Answer 10

They release large amounts of carbon dioxide and water vapour

Question 11

What does pH stand for?

Answer 11

Power of Hydrogen (H)

Question 12

What is an acid?

Answer 12

A compound that dissolved in water to form a solution with a pH less than 7

Question 13

What is a base or alkaline?

Answer 13

Is a compound that dissolved in water to form a solution with a pH greater than 7

Question 14

What is the pH scale?

Answer 14

Most solutions have a pH in the range of 0-14 but the scale can be extended

A solution with a pH of 0 is very acidic
A solution with a pH of 14 is very basic or alkaline
A solution with a pH of 7 is neutral

Question 15

What are some examples of acids?

Answer 15

Battery acid
Stomach acid
Lemon juice
Vinegar

Question 16

What are some examples of bases or alkalines?

Answer 16

Baking soda
Toothpaste 
Drain cleaner
Soapy water
Bleach

Question 17

What are acid-base indicators?

Answer 17

Change colour when they are placed in solutions

Blue litmus paper turns red when placed in an acid

Red litmus paper turns blue when placed in a base

Question 18

How is acid rain formed?

Answer 18

Industrial processes and fuel combustion produce large quantities of chemicals such as carbon dioxide

These chemicals dissolve in water droplets and form acid rain

Question 19

What does acid rain do?

Answer 19

Causes lakes and streams to become more acidic which can affect the diversity of aquatic life

Can also increase the rate at which buildings and monuments deteriorate

Question 20

How do you neutralize an acidic lake?

Answer 20

Acidic lakes are sometimes treated with lime (or calcium hydroxide) to neutralize them

Question 21

When dealing with chemical spills what is it important to know?

Answer 21

It is important to know if the substance spilled is an acid or a base, and then use the appropriate opposite material

Question 22

Our bodies need about ____ elements for normal growth

Answer 22

25

Question 23

What are the most common elements in living things?

Answer 23

Carbon
Oxygen
Hydrogen

Question 24

What is an organic compound?

Answer 24

A compound whose molecules contain carbon with the exception of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbonates, and cyanides

Question 25

What is an inorganic compound?

Answer 25

Compounds whose molecules do not contain carbon

Question 26

What are nutrients?

Answer 26

Elements and compounds that organisms need for living, growing, and reproducing

Question 27

What are macronutrients?

Answer 27

Nutrients that are needed in relatively large amounts Too little of these elements can have harmful effects

Question 28

What are micronutrients?

Answer 28

Nutrients that are needed in very small (or trace) amounts Too much of theses elements can be harmful

Question 29

What are the four important types of organic molecules?

Answer 29

Carbohydrates Lipids Proteins Nucleic Acids

Question 30

What are carbohydrates?

Answer 30

Organic molecules made up of atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

Question 31

What are some examples of carbohydrate molecules?

Answer 31

Starch Cellulose Glycogen Glucose

Question 32

What are lipids?

Answer 32

Organic compounds composed of many carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atom joined together in chains

Question 33

What are some examples of lipids?

Answer 33

Fats Oils Waxes

Question 34

What is protein?

Answer 34

An organic molecule made up of amino acids

Question 35

What is an amino acid?

Answer 35

A simple organic compound containing a carboxyl and an amino

Question 36

What are the three functions of proteins?

Answer 36

Used for organisms for growth and repair A source of energy Main component of enzymes

Question 37

What are nucleic acids?

Answer 37

Are the largest most complicated molecules found in living things

Question 38

All cells contain what two important nucleic acids that all cells contain?

Answer 38

DNA | RNA

Question 39

What is the transport of matter?

Answer 39

The act of moving molecules or ions across a cell membrane

Question 40

What does passive transport mean?

Answer 40

To move passively means to move without the use of any energy

Question 41

What are two types of passive transport?

Answer 41

Diffusion | Osmosis

Question 42

What is diffusion?

Answer 42

The natural movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration

Question 43

What is osmosis?

Answer 43

The natural movement of water molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration It is a specific form of diffusion

Question 44

Osmosis occurs through a ___________ membrane

Answer 44

Semi permeable

Question 45

What is active transport?

Answer 45

The transport of molecules requiring the addition of energy to help the molecules move They need help because they are moving from an area of low concentration to an area of high concentration

Question 46

What is ingestion?

Answer 46

The process of taking in food into our bodies

Question 47

What is mechanical digestion?

Answer 47

The physical breakdown of food by your teeth when chewing

Question 48

What is chemical digestion?

Answer 48

The breakdown of foods into basic nutrients using enzymes, acids, and bases. This occurs in the mouth, stomach, and small intestine

Question 49

What is hydrolysis?

Answer 49

The process in which water helps to convert the large organic molecules into simpler substances like sugars

Question 50

What is a substrate?

Answer 50

The surface on which an organism moves or lives