30, A: One atmospheric compound is responsible (after it has dissolved in water) for both the general acidity of normal rainwater and the acidity of much soil. What is this compound?
30, B: Is this compound put into the atmosphere solely by pollution?
30, C: Why doesn’t this compound cause seawater to become acidic?
30, D: If all of this compound were to vanish from the atmosphere, would humans benefit? Why or why not?
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30, A: The compound is nitrogen dioxide.
30, B: No, the compound is known to be put into the atmosphere by volcanic activity and decaying vegetation.
30, C: It does not cause seawater to become acidic because seawater has a buffer capacity.
30, D: It would not benefit humans because nitrogen is necessary to create amino acids which are the building blocks of proteins and necessary for life while also compromising over 70% of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Since I'm not an expert on air pollution, I won't comment except for a couple of things. First, I think your answers are ok. NO2 seems to fit but I would have thought of other compounds before I thought of NO2.
Second, have you considered that there are other pollutants besides NO2? For example, both SO2 and CO2 are heavy pollutants (perhaps more so than NOx) and it was my impression that SO2 was the primary cause of acid rain although both NO2 and CO2, when combined with water, form acidic compounds also. Here is an article that attributes acid rain to SO2 and NOx as the primary causes.
http://www.policyalmanac.org/environment/archive/acid_rain.shtml
I'm sure you can find a plethora of articles on Google about acid rain; just be careful when reading them as to the facts. Anyone can post anything on the Internet AND many of these posts contain more rhetoric than science.
No
30, A: To find the compound responsible for the general acidity of rainwater and soil, we need to understand that rainwater is slightly acidic due to the presence of certain compounds. Soil acidity is also influenced by these compounds when they dissolve in water. So, the compound we're looking for must be capable of dissolving in water and contributing to acidity. The compound in question is nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
To arrive at this answer, we can start by understanding the concept of acid rain and its causes. Acid rain occurs when certain pollutants in the atmosphere, such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), mix with water droplets in the air to form acidic compounds. Among these compounds, nitrogen dioxide is the responsible component for both the general acidity of rainwater and the acidity of soil when it dissolves in water.
30, B: No, this compound is not solely put into the atmosphere by pollution. While pollution is a significant contributor to the presence of nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere, natural sources also release it. Volcanic activity is known to emit nitrogen dioxide, and it is also produced during the decomposition of organic matter, such as decaying vegetation.
30, C: Nitrogen dioxide does not cause seawater to become acidic due to the presence of a buffer capacity in seawater. A buffer is a substance or combination of substances that helps in resisting changes to pH (acidity or alkalinity). Seawater contains several buffers, mainly dissolved carbonate ions (CO3 2-) from compounds like bicarbonate (HCO3-) and carbonate (CO3 2-). These buffers act to regulate pH and prevent significant changes in acidity. As a result, nitrogen dioxide present in the atmosphere does not have the same acidifying effect on seawater as it has on rainwater and soil.
30, D: If all the nitrogen dioxide were to disappear from the atmosphere, it would not benefit humans. Nitrogen is a vital element for various biological processes, and it plays a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth. Nitrogen is necessary for the synthesis of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Proteins are essential for the growth, development, and functioning of living organisms.
Moreover, nitrogen gas (N2) makes up approximately 78% of the Earth's atmosphere. It is an integral part of the global nitrogen cycle, which involves the conversion and recycling of nitrogen compounds by living organisms and natural processes. Without nitrogen dioxide and other nitrogen compounds in the atmosphere, the balance of the nitrogen cycle would be disrupted, potentially leading to detrimental effects on ecosystems, agriculture, and overall biodiversity.
Therefore, the presence of nitrogen compounds, including nitrogen dioxide, in the atmosphere is necessary for maintaining the natural balance of life-sustaining processes on Earth.