Air and the Environment

Which of the following is not present in a sample of clean, dry air?

• carbon dioxide

• argon

• nitrogen

• water vapour

Which of the following is a natural source of oxides of nitrogen?

• lightning activity

• car engines and chemical factories

• volcanic eruption

• combustion of fossil fuels

Which of the following gases do not contribute to the formation of acid rain?

• sulfur dioxide

• carbon dioxide

• nitrogen monoxide

• nitrogen dioxide

What is the approximate volume of oxygen in a 200 cm³ sample of dry air?

• 80 cm³

• 20 cm³

• 40 cm³

• 160 cm3

Which noble gas is the most abundant in Earth's atmosphere?

• helium

• argon

• krypton

• xenon

Which of the following statements about separation of air into its component gases is incorrect?

• fractional distillation of air separates air into its component gases according to their melting points

• cooling and compressing of air turns it into a liquid which then undergoes fractional distillation

• the component of air with the lowest boiling point is distilled and collected first

• nitrogen (b. p. -196 ^oC) is collected before oxygen (b. p. -183 ^oC) during the fractional distillation of air

Which of the following is not an effect of carbon monoxide on human health?

• reacts with haemoglobin to form carboxyhaemoglobin which reduces the ability of blood to transport oxygen

• headaches, fatigue, breathing difficulties

• death in extreme cases

• irritates the eyes and lungs

Fill in the blanks to complete the definition of acid rain.

Acid rain is formed when _________ air pollutants react with _________ in the atmosphere.

• neutral; water

• toxic; oxygen

• acidic; water

• gaseous; acid

Which word equation correctly shows the reaction of sulfur dioxide during the formation of acid rain?

• sulfur dioxide + water → sulfuric acid

• sulfur dioxide + water → sulfurous acid

• sulfur dioxide + water → sulfur acid

• sulfur dioxide + water → sulfate acid

Which gas is responsible for unpolluted rainwater being having a pH below 7?

• oxygen

• nitrogen

• carbon dioxide

• argon