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Lower Atmosphere

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1. Oxidants & Observation

- oxidation & OH radicals

- night & nitrate

- observational spectroscopy

* Worksheet 1

* Worksheet 2

2. Radiation & greenhouse gases

3. Ozone & fire

4. Gases in the atmosphere

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Lower Atmosphere

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1. Oxidants and observation - more

Worksheet 1: Test yourself:

Quiz about the "detergents" of the atmosphere

This is an interactive web-page.

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Read the background texts - "night and nitrates" and "oxidation & OH" - then answer the following questions.

Find the right answers!

1) Which of the four radicals / molecules does not act as a "detergent"
in the atmosphere?

a) OH
b) CO
c) NO₃
d) O₃

2) The atmospheric lifetime of OH radicals is:

a) less than a second.
b) on average between 1 and 10 seconds.
c) between 10 seconds and 1 minute.
d) more than a minute.

3) The lifetime of OH radicals essentially depends on:

a) sunlight.
b) the latitude at which the radicals form.
c) the height above sea level at which the radicals form.
d) the amount of CO and organic substances in the air.

4)In the northern summer at what latitudes can you find ,on average, more than 2,000,000 OH radicals per cm³ air at a height of 1000 meters?

a) 0° - 15° N
b) 0° - 15° S
c) 15° - 40° N
d) 15° - 40° S

5) Which of the following reactions yields OH radicals without light?

a ) HONO reacts to form NO + OH these then re-react to reform HONO
b) ) O₃+ H₂O react to form O₂ + 2 OH
c) HO₂ + NO react to form NO₂ + OH

6) Almost no OH radicals are formed in a starry night. This is because:

a) it's too cold at night and there isn't enough energy for the reaction.
b) there isn't sufficient light to make the precursors for OH or OH itself.
c) at night there are many OH-decomposing substances in the air.
d) OH radicals are afraid of the dark.

7) How does the "detergent" NO₃ affect small alkenes in the dark?

a) It doesn't affect them because the reaction needs light.
b) It removes a hydrogen from one of the carbon atoms in the carbon-carbon double bond.
c) It directly adds to the carbon-carbon double bond.
d) It directly splits the carbon-carbon double bond.

8) Which wavelength is not absorbed by NO₃ molecules?

a) 589 nm
b) 664 nm
c) 622 nm
d) 649 nm

Attention: This quiz is optimised for internet explorer or new versions of Netscape!
If the little solution window disappears, just reopen it from the task row!

About this page:

Authors: M. Seesing, M. Tausch - Universität Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg / Germany
Scientific reviewing: Dr. Mark Lawrence - Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz - 2004-05-05

Last update: 2004-05-13

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