NEET UG » NEET UG Study Material » Chemistry » A Short Note on Chemical Reactions in Atmosphere

A Short Note on Chemical Reactions in Atmosphere

Ultraviolet light combines with O2 molecules in the stratosphere to generate atomic oxygen. Then, atomic oxygen interacts with an O2 molecule to form ozone (O3).

The chemistry of the Earth’s atmosphere and the atmospheres of other planets is studied through atmospheric chemistry, which is a branch of atmospheric science. Environmental chemistry, physics, meteorology, computer modelling, oceanography, geology, and volcanology, among other disciplines, are all part of this multidisciplinary study method. Other branches of study, such as climatology, are becoming more linked with research. The atmosphere’s composition and chemistry are significant for a variety of reasons, the most important of which being the interaction between the atmosphere and living creatures. The composition of the Earth’s atmosphere is altered by natural processes such as volcano eruptions, lightning, and bombardment by solar particles from the corona. It has also been transformed by human activities, and some of these alterations are harmful to human health. A wide range of chemical reactions can be found all around us. 

Chemical reactions taking place in atmosphere(using heat hv)

CF2Cl2→CF2Cl+Cl 

CO2→CO2 ‘ 

ClO+O→Cl+O2 

Cl+O3→ClO+O2 

NO→NO++e− 

O2→O+2+e−

He→He++e−

O2→O+O

What is nitrogen?

Nitrogen can also be found in nitre or saltpetre mineral deposits (potassium nitrate, KNO3) and Chile saltpetre (sodium nitrate, NaNO3), but these reserves are insufficient for human needs. Guano, a nitrogen-rich material found in bat caves and dry locations favoured by birds, is another nitrogen-rich material. 

Nitrogen is found as ammonia and ammonium salts in the rain and soil, and as ammonium (NH4+), nitrite (NO2), and nitrate (NO3) ions in seawater. Nitrogen makes up around 16 percent of the complex chemical substances known as proteins, which are found in all living species. In the Earth’s crust, the natural quantity of nitrogen is 0.3 parts per 1,000. The cosmic abundance, or overall abundance in the universe, is estimated to be between three and four times that of Earth. 

Although the other applications are essential, the manufacturing of nitrogen compounds consumes the vast majority of elemental nitrogen. It’s difficult to get molecular nitrogen to enter other combinations because the triple bond between atoms in nitrogen molecules is so strong.

What is oxygen?

Many major classes of organic molecules in living organisms, such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and fats, contain oxygen atoms, as do the major constituent inorganic compounds of animal shells, teeth, and bone. Dioxygen provides the energy released in combustion and aerobic cellular respiration, and many major classes of organic molecules in living organisms, such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and fats, contain oxygen atoms. 

The majority of the mass of living beings is oxygen, which is a component of water, which is the primary component of all lifeforms. , replenishes oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere on a constant basis. 

Oxygen is too chemically reactive to be a free element in air unless it is constantly replaced by living organisms’ photosynthetic activity. Ozone (O3) is an allotrope of oxygen that strongly absorbs ultraviolet UVB rays.Singlet oxygen refers to a group of higher-energy molecular oxygen species in which all electron spins are coupled. 

Define Argon

Henry Cavendish hypothesised argon was present in the air in 1785, but Lord Rayleigh and Sir William Ramsay didn’t discover it until 1894. Argon is the eighth period’s third noble gas, accounting for around 1% of the Earth’s atmosphere. Argon has solubility similarities to the oxygen, but is 2.5 times as soluble in water as nitrogen.  There are no compounds that contain it. 

Because the atmosphere only contains 0.94 percent argon, this gas is isolated using liquid air fractionation. In comparison, the Martian atmosphere contains only 1.6 percent Ar-40 and 5 ppm Ar-36. The world’s annual production surpasses 750.000 tonnes, and the supply is essentially limitless. 

Argon is utilised in lighting and other applications where diatomic nitrogen is an unsuitable (semi-)inert gas because it does not react with the filament in a lightbulb even at high temperatures. Argon is vital to the metal industry since it is utilised as an inert gas barrier in arc welding and cutting. 

What is the atmosphere?

As one rises higher above the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere becomes thinner (less thick and lower in pressure). It gives way to the vacuum of space over time. There is no definite point at which the atmosphere reaches its “peak.” At altitudes between 100 and 120 km (62-75 miles), air becomes so thin that it might be considered the barrier between the atmosphere and space for many purposes. However, hundreds of kilometers/miles above the Earth’s surface, there exist very thin but detectable traces of atmospheric gases.The Earth’s atmosphere is divided into various areas or levels. Temperatures, pressures, and phenomena are unique to each. We live in the troposphere, the lowest layer of the atmosphere, where the majority of clouds form and nearly all weather happens. In the sky, some jet planes can be seen.

Conclusion

The chemistry of the Earth’s atmosphere and the atmospheres of other planets is studied through atmospheric chemistry, which is a branch of atmospheric science. The atmosphere’s composition and chemistry are significant for a variety of reasons, the most important of which being the interaction between the atmosphere and living creatures. The composition of the Earth’s atmosphere is altered by natural processes such as volcano eruptions, lightning, and bombardment by solar particles from the corona. Nitrogen is found as ammonia and ammonium salts in the rain and soil, and as ammonium , nitrite , and nitrate ions in seawater. In the Earth’s crust, the natural quantity of nitrogen is 0. The cosmic abundance, or overall abundance in the universe, is estimated to be between three and four times that of Earth.

faq

Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the NEET UG Examination Preparation.

What is the most prevalent chemical in the atmosphere?

The vast majority of the atmosphere (78 percent) is made up of nitrogen and oxygen (21 percent). The remainder of th...Read full

What are the different types of chemical reactions?

Combination, decomposition, single-replacement, double-replacement, and combustion are the five basic types of chemi...Read full

What makes up the chemistry of the atmosphere?

In the 1800s, scientists such as John Dalton discovered that the atmosphere was made up of a variety of gases. Air i...Read full

How many different gases are there in the atmosphere?

The Earth’s atmosphere is made up of roughly 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon, and 0.1 percent other gases...Read full

What is the composition of oxygen?

Oxygen is a nonmetal element that exists in nature as a molecule. Each molecule is composed of two oxygen atoms that...Read full