Producing air pollutants

Question 1

What fuel sources does carbon form?

Answer 1

Coal is mainly carbon

Petrol and fuel oils etc. are hydrocarbons

Question 2

What happens when these fuels are burnt?

Answer 2

Carbon and/or hydrogen split and form with oxygen in the air to form CO2 and/or H2O

Question 3

What are reactions gaining and loosing oxygen called?

Answer 3

Oxidation reactions are when an element or compound is combined with oxygen
Reduction is when a compound loses oxygen
Combustion is an example of oxidation, fuels burn more rapidly in pure oxygen

Question 4

What happens during a chemical reaction?

Answer 4

The atoms are rearranged and so the properties of the reactants will be different to the products.
The number of each atom must be maintained throughout the experiment, called conserving mass

Question 5

What is formed in the burning of fossil fuels in power plants and for transport?

Answer 5

Carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide
Carbon monoxide (incomplete combustion)
Nitrogen oxides

Question 6

How are nitrogen oxides formed and how are they collectively written?

Answer 6

Nitrogen monoxide is formed during the combustion of fuels in air and subsequently oxidised to nitrogen dioxide, written as NO^(below)x

Question 7

How do pollutants leave the atmosphere?

Answer 7

They cannot simply disappear and so:
Particulate carbon is deposited on surfaces,
Sulfur and nitrogen dioxide react with water and oxygen to produce acid rain,
CO2 is used by plants in photosynthesis or dissolves in rain/sea