Air in Trouble?

Air pollution from a power plant is being monitored for levels of nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone. The levels are measured daily at the same time. Which of the following best predicts the impact of a dark and cloudy day on the readings for the levels of air pollutants measured?

• There will be no change in the levels of nitrogen dioxide or ground-level ozone.

• There will be a decrease in the level of nitrogen dioxide and an increase in the level of ground-level ozone.

• There will be an increase in the levels of both nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone.

• There will be an increase in the level of nitrogen dioxide and a decrease in the level of ground-level ozone.

Scientists are testing the effect of different scrubber technologies on the removal of pollutants from coal power plants. The scrubbers use a slurry of limestone and water.

Which of the following best describes the impact of modifying the slurry by increasing the amount of limestone?

• The amount of sulfur dioxide released will decrease.

• The amount of ground-level ozone released will decrease

• The amount of water released will increase.

• The amount of carbon monoxide released will increase.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

NGSS.MS-ETS1-4

Scientists want to examine the effects of a coal-burning power plant on the pH of a lake that is downwind of the power plant. They take samples from a lake that is not downwind of the power plant to serve as a control. However, they did not realize that the lake they chose as a control group was a geothermal hot spring with acidic water.

• Using this control would not have an effect on the outcome because the high temperature of the hot spring reduces the acidity of the water in the lake.

• The coal-burning power plant would appear to have a much larger effect on the pH of the experimental group because the

  pH in the control lake would be elevated from the acidic water.

• The coal-burning power plant would not appear to have a large impact because the pH levels of the two lakes would be similar.

• The coal-burning power plant would affect both lakes because the Coriolis effect and weather patterns would circulate pollutants in the atmosphere.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

The graph shows the average distance traveled by individuals in a population in an urban area in the southwestern United States. Based on the data, which of the following months most likely experiences the highest levels of photochemical smog?

• July

• October

• February

• November

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Which of the following best describes the process shown in the diagram above?

• Less-dense, cool air rises up and mixes with the denser warm air above it, increasing the amount of thermal pollution in the atmosphere.

• Less-dense, warm air creates a temperature inversion between more-dense layers, trapping pollutants near the ground.

• Dense, warm air from the mountains on the right pushes into the less-dense, cool air mass, causing an inversion layer.

• Movement of air currents over urban areas decreases the amount of photochemical smog during summer months.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Which of the following points on the graph best illustrates the location where pollutants are most likely to accumulate as a result of a thermal inversion?

• Point A

• Point B

• Point C

• Point D

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

An air pollution expert set up a monitoring program to determine the amount of particulate matter (PM) leaving a farmer’s field after crops were harvested and the soil was bare. She set up high-volume air samplers 10 meters from each edge of the square field and collected samples weekly for two months. When she looked at her data, she was surprised by how much the PM levels varied, both from site to site on a given date and over time at each site. Which of the following parameters would have been best to measure to help explain the variation in her results?

• Percent of cloudy days over the two months

• Particle size of the soils in the field

• Depth of the organic matter in the soil

• Wind direction and speed

Scientists have been collecting atmospheric CO2 data for many years to monitor changes over time. Which of the following best describes why an island location, such as the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, is an ideal location to measure global CO2 concentrations?

• The island is also a dormant volcano, so there will be only anthropogenic atmospheric CO2 measured at the site.

• he location is below the inversion layer, making it less prone to local effects from industry and transportation.

• The location is far from any continent, providing atmospheric air samples that are less likely to be affected by industry and transportation.

• The impact of primary producers in the surrounding Pacific Ocean is negligible, reducing the effect of photosynthesis and respiration on CO2 levels.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-6

Which of the following is the most likely reason for the trend shown in the graph of fluctuating indoor radon levels over the course of a year?

• Home windows are often closed during summer months, causing the levels of radon in the house to build up.

• Barometric pressure changes from summer storms can cause radon levels to increase.

• Radon levels tend to increase in the colder months because of the difference in temperature inside and outside the home, which creates a vacuum pulling radon into the home at a higher rate.

• Increased levels of radon are linked to burning biomass indoors, which increases in winter months when more biomass is burned for cooking and heating.

Which of the following is most likely responsible for the indoor air pollutant shown in the graph?

• Cracks in the basement foundation

• Synthetic fiber in carpets and furniture

• Leaking water

• Pet hair

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-3