Homework Help Forum: ChemChem

Posted by Chemistry on Monday, November 2, 2009 at 4:29am.

Hi, please help! Question: Farmers added Calcium hydroxide to soil one morning. They then planned to add Ammonium chloride fertilisers to the soil immediately. However, the instruction label on the packet of fertilisers read: "Do not add fertiliser immediately after adding Calcium hydroxide to the soil". 1. Why did the farmers need to add Calcium hydroxide to the soil originally? 2. Why must the farmers not add the fertiliser immediately after adding the calcium hydroxide to the soil? My answers: 1. They added the alkaline calcium hydroxide to neutralise the acidity of the soil due to acid rain. 2. Adding the fertiliser immediately would result in a chemical reaction, forming ammonia gas, water and a salt. Hence, the ammonia gas would escape into the air and nitrogen cannot be used by the plants. Are my answers correct? Please do not give me links. I need to know if my answers are correct.

• ChemChem - bobpursley, Monday, November 2, 2009 at 9:09am

  Yes, but delete the phrase "due to acid rain". Very few acid soils are due to acid rain.

  
  

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