END-OF-CHAPTER QUESTIONS
CHAPTER 1: THE AIR WE BREATHE
Emphasizing Essentials
1.
2.
3.
15 breaths 60 minutes
8 hours
1L
= 7200 L
1 hour
1 working day
1 breath 1 minute
78 L nitrogen
500L air = 390 L nitrogen
100 L air
0.25 L carbon dioxide
100 = 5% carbon dioxide by volume
5.0 L air
Note this is considerably higher than the 0.03% by volume commonly found in dry air.
100 parts per hundred
= 0.9 parts per hundred or 0.9%
1, 000,000 ppm
4.
9000 ppm
5.
6.
7.
Oxygen reacts with the metabolic byproducts of foods during the process of human metabolism to produce
carbon dioxide and water. This has the effect of decreasing the percentage of oxygen in exhaled air, but
increasing the percentage of carbon dioxide.
8.
The percentage is calculated by comparing the difference in the two readings to the standard.
(0.15 0.12)
100 = 25% above the standard
0.12
a. 1.5 103 m
b. 9.58 1011 m
6
d. 1.5 105 mg
c. 7.5 10 m
9.
10. a. 85,000 g
c. 0.0050 %
b. 10,000,000 gallons
d. 0.00001 g
b. 1.5 104 oC
d. 2.2 104 g
12. The troposphere ends at approximately 15 km. Consult Figure 1.6 to find these values.
Altitude (km)
0
5
10
15
20
Pressure (atm)
1
0.50
0.25
0.16
0.12
Going from 0 to 5 km, the pressure drops by 50% from 1 atm to 0.50 atm. Then going from 5 to 10 km, the
pressure also drops by about 50% from 0.50 to 0.25%. The relationship no longer holds true going from 10
km to 15 km because the pressure only drops from 0.25 atm to 0.16 atm, not to the 0.12 atm which would
represent a 50% drop. The relationship is not valid throughout the entire troposphere, only to about 10 km.
SECTION H PAGE 1
b. compound
e. mixture
b. aluminum chloride
d. magnesium bromide
17. a. N2O
c. NaF
b. O3
c. mixture
f. element
d. CCl4
18. a. One atom of the element carbon, two atoms of the element hydrogen, and one atom of the element
oxygen are combined to form one molecule of formaldehyde, CH2O.
b. Two atoms of the element hydrogen are combined with two atoms of the element oxygen to form one
molecule of hydrogen peroxide, H2O2.
c. One atom of the element carbon, three atoms of the element hydrogen, and one atom of the element
bromine are combined to form one molecule of methyl bromide, CH3Br.
19. a. N2(g) + O2(g) 2 NO(g)
b. O3(g) O2(g) + O(g)
c. 2 S(s) + 3 O2(g) 2 SO3(g)
20. a.
+
+
b.
c.
SECTION H PAGE 2
Concentrating on Concepts
26. Air is often described as invisible if only colorless gases are present. If the air contains condensed water
vapor, airborne particulate matter, or gases that have a distinct color, then it can be seen.
27. Answers will vary depending on the answer calculated in 1.1 Consider This and the size of the classroom.
For most students, the volume of air inhaled in a day will be on the order of 10 4 L or 107 cm3. Classrooms
will hold a much greater volume of air. If the length, width, and height measurements are estimated in
meters, and then converted to cm, the calculated volume of air in the room will be in cm3. This will
facilitate the comparison with liters of air inhaled in a day, which can easily be changed to mL or cm3.
28. These are a few possible examples of changes that would take place if the concentration of oxygen in the
atmosphere were halved.
1. Iron and steel would rust more slowly, prolonging the useful life of many objects made from these
materials.
2. Anything burning would last for a longer time, such as the charcoal in your grill, a log in your fireplace,
or the gasoline in your cars engine.
3. We would have to breathe at approximately twice the present rate since we would get less oxygen per
breath.
29. The unit is chosen to maximize ease of communication and to minimize the number of zeroes necessary to
express the value. If the component is present in relatively high concentration, then usually a percentage is
used. Oxygen, for example, makes up 21% of our atmosphere. If the component in question is somewhat
less concentrated in the atmosphere, then either unit is reasonable to use. Argon, for example, makes up
only 0.9% of the atmosphere, or its atmospheric concentration is 900 ppm. Trace components, those present
in quite low concentrations, can more conveniently be expressed in ppm. For example, if the concentration
of carbon monoxide measured in the atmosphere is 6 ppm, as it is awkward to report this as 0.0006%.
30. a. Many students will represent these data with a bar graph and others will use some form of pictograph or
even a traditional graph. Communication of the information will be helped with good labeling and with an
informative title for the visual representation.
b. The air quality in Philadelphia, PA does not to show a regular trend through the 1992-1999 time period,
although since 1993 it has been consistently better than it was in 1993. The air quality in Phoenix, AZ since
1992 has been consistently better than that in Philadelphia, with the worst year on record since 1992
coming in 1995.
SECTION H PAGE 3
SECTION H PAGE 4
Exploring Extensions
43. The volume percentage concentration means that the volume of the oxygen molecules accounts for 21% of
the total volume. The mass percent means that the mass of the oxygen molecule accounts for 23% of the
total mass. The other major component of the atmosphere is nitrogen gas, so oxygen gas molecules must be
slightly heavier than nitrogen gas molecules.
44.
Visit the Chemistry in Context website at http://www.mhhe.com/cic, or directly enter the EPA website
through http://www.epa.gov. Then find the Green Chemistry website can be at
http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry. The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge was established by
President Clinton to promote pollution prevention and industrial ecology in partnership with the chemical
industry. The program originated in 1995. The most recent winners at this time are the 2001 winners, but
the website will give up-to-date information. The summaries should reflect individual understanding of the
Green Chemistry advance, not just the words used on the website.
45.
A web search for Nitrox will lead to the information that these mixtures are enriched in oxygen,
compared with the usual atmospheric composition; the percentage oxygen is enriched to over 30%. Divers
use Nitrox because it allows longer and deeper dives. Because Nitrox is enriched in oxygen, it has a
reduced nitrogen composition. This is desirable because at depth, nitrogen dissolves to a greater extent than
does oxygen in the bloodstream. Then, as the diver returns to the surface, bubbles of nitrogen gas are
SECTION H PAGE 5
Stratosphere
contains
contains
Weather,Air
Pollution
Mesosphere
Ozone Layer
50. a. This graph clearly indicates that exposure to greater and greater carbon monoxide concentrations for
longer and longer periods of time becomes increasingly life-threatening.
b. Answers will vary. All paragraphs should indicate the serious health threat posed by the presence of
carbon monoxide in the atmosphere. Additionally, students may wish to mention that this gas is colorless
and odorless, making it impossible to detect without a detection kit. Furthermore, the initial symptoms of
carbon monoxide poisoning are not unique, and those suffering from the associated headaches and nausea
could easily presume the symptoms are due to the flu. Untreated, individuals will ultimately lapse into a
coma, after which point they will be unable to call for assistance. For these reasons, a carbon monoxide
detector could become a life-saving device.
SECTION H PAGE 6