Air pollution and greenhouse gases Knowledge-Based Practice

Questions

1. 1.

   Which of the following air pollutants is produced by the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels and exerts its toxicity by binding to hemoglobin with an affinity far greater than that of oxygen?

   • A) Sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$)
   • B) Nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$)
   • C) Carbon dioxide ($CO_2$)
   • D) Carbon monoxide ($CO$)
2. 2.

   Which of the following air pollutants undergoes photochemical dissociation in the presence of sunlight to yield atomic oxygen, directly driving the formation of ground-level ozone?

   • A) Nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$)
   • B) Sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$)
   • C) Carbon monoxide ($CO$)
   • D) Methane ($CH_4$)
3. 3.

   Which of the following greenhouse gases possesses the highest Global Warming Potential (GWP) over a 100-year time horizon?

   • A) Carbon dioxide ($\text{CO}_2$)
   • B) Methane ($\text{CH}_4$)
   • C) Nitrous oxide ($\text{N}_2\text{O}$)
   • D) Sulfur hexafluoride ($\text{SF}_6$)
4. 4.

   Which of the following substances is classified as a secondary air pollutant formed by chemical reactions in the atmosphere rather than being emitted directly from a source?

   • A) Ground-level ozone ($O_3$)
   • B) Carbon monoxide ($CO$)
   • C) Sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$)
   • D) Nitric oxide ($NO$)
5. 5.

   Which of the following best explains why carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and methane ($CH_4$) function as greenhouse gases, whereas nitrogen ($N_2$) and oxygen ($O_2$) do not?

   • A) They undergo a net change in dipole moment during molecular vibrations, enabling them to absorb outgoing infrared radiation.
   • B) They have higher molar masses that physically prevent outgoing ultraviolet radiation from escaping the lower atmosphere.
   • C) They are homonuclear diatomic molecules that readily absorb high-energy visible solar radiation.
   • D) They react catalytically with stratospheric ozone to continuously generate heat within the troposphere.

Answers and step-by-step solutions appear after you finish the test.