Environmental Studies

Air Pollution

2,340 Questions

Air pollution questions address the sources of emissions, indoor air quality, and the formation of photochemical smog. You will explore the impact of particulate matter, acid rain, and urban pollutants. This is a highly relevant subject for environmental studies and general awareness tests.

Photochemical smogParticulate matter emissionsAcid rain causesIndoor air pollutionAmmonia emissions

Air Pollution Questions

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

What occurs when acidic oxides generated of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur due to burning of fossil fuels come in contact of rain?

  1. Acid rain

  2. Basic Rain

  3. Normal Rain

  4. Hailstorms
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Acid rains are caused when the pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide formed due to the burning of the fossil fuels are released in the atmosphere, where they travel upwards and mixes with oxygen, air and moisture to form pollutants called acidic oxide pollutants.

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

 Acid rain happens because:

  1. sun leads to heating of upper layer of atmosphere

  2. the burning of fossil fuels release oxides of carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur in the atmosphere

  3. electrical charges are produced due to friction amongst clouds

  4. earth atmosphere contains acids
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

 Acid rain is caused by emissions of acidic gases like sulphur dioxide, nitrogen and carbon oxides, which react with the water  molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. 

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Assertion (A): The oxides of nitrogen and sulphur combine with rainwater and come down as acid rain.
Reason (R): Acid rains cause depletion of ozone layer.

  1. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

  2. Both A and R are true but R is not correct explanation of A

  3. A is true and R is false

  4. A is false and R is true
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Below are few properties of acid rain:
1) Acid rains are obtained due to oxides of nitrogen & sulphur.
2) Nitric acid and sulphuric acid in the atmosphere dissolve in rain water and come down to earth as acid rain. 
3) It may have a pH less than 5.6
4) There is no relation of acid rain with ozone layer.

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Which of the following gases will not cause acid rain?

  1. $SO _2$
  2. $NO _2$
  3. $CO _2$
  4. $O _3$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
Sulphur present in any fuel combines with oxygen and forms $SO _2$ in the combustion chamber. $SO _2$ when emitted into the atmosphere, it oxidizes to form $SO _3$. It is soluble in water in the clouds and forms $H _2SO _4$ (Sulphuric acid).

$S+O _2 \rightarrow SO _2 +\dfrac {1}{2} O _2 \longrightarrow SO _3+H _2O\rightarrow H _2SO _4$

Most of the $NO _x$ emitted in the form in the forms of $NO$.
This $NO$ oxidised in the atmosphere to form $NO _2$.
$NO _2$ is soluble in water and form $HNO _3$ (Nitric Acid).

$NO+\dfrac {1}{2}O _2\rightarrow NO _2+H _2O\rightarrow HNO _3$ 
                       
Carbon divide reacts with water to form carbonic acid. Carbonic acid then dissociates to give the hydrogen ion $(H^+)$ and the hydrogen carbonate ion $(HCO _3^-)$. The ability of $H _2CO _3$ to deliver $H^+$ classifies this molecule as acid.

$CO _2 +H _2O\longrightarrow H _2CO _3$

$H _2CO _3 \longrightarrow H^++HCO _3^-$

For $O _3$,
$O _3+$Ultraviolet $\rightarrow O+O _2$

$O+O _3\rightarrow 2O _2$

Net Reaction: $2O _3+ UV\rightarrow 3O _2$

It does from any acidic component therefore $O _3$ will not cause acid rain.
Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Acid rains are produced by:

  1. excess ${NO} _{2}$ and ${SO} _{2}$ from burning fossil fuels
  2. excess production of ${NH} _{3}$ by industry and coal gas

  3. excess release of carbon monoxide by incomplete combustion
  4. excess formation of ${CO} _{2}$ by combustion and animal respiration
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Acid rain is primarily caused by the emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the combustion of fossil fuels, which then react with water in the atmosphere.

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Which of the following are responsible for causing acid-rain?

  1. Oxides of sulphur and carbon dioxide.

  2. Oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide.

  3. Hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide.

  4. Oxides of sulphur and nitrogen.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Acid rain caused by emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which react with water molecules in the  atmosphere to produce corresponding acids.


Oxides of sulphur + water $\rightarrow$ Sulphuric acid

Oxides of Nitrogen + water $\rightarrow$ Nitric acid

Option D is correct.

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Acid rain occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides combine with water vapors in the atmosphere and fall as rain. Which of the following is not caused by acid rain?

  1. Decreased quality of air

  2. Reduced growth of forests

  3. Reduced pH of water bodies

  4. Destruction of marble buildings
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Acid rain does not pollute air rather acid rain is caused de to the air pollution. The air pollutants consisting $SO _2$ and $NO _x$, they combine with the water vapour. 

$SO _2+O _2+H _2O\longrightarrow H _2SO _4$

$NO +H _2O\longrightarrow HNO _2$

$NO _2+H _2O\longrightarrow HNO _3$

Due to the formation of these acids, the rain is acidic. 
Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Acid precipitation is now regarded as a serious problem in some European and Asian countries. Its major cause or source is:

  1. the discharge of acidic effluents onto neutral or slightly alkaline land where the acidic components precipitate.

  2. emission of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides from thermal power plants and burning of fossil fuels. These oxides dissolve in atmospheric water vapor and fall back on earth as acid rain.

  3. natural carbon dioxide released during respiration of living organisms dissolves in water, forming carbonic acid which is the chief contributor to acidity in rainwater.

  4. none of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions or low pH. it can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure. It is a result of air pollution. When oxides of sulfur or nitrogen react with water sulfuric acid or nitric acid is formed.

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Which oxides cause acid rains?

  1. Sulphur dioxide

  2. Nitrogen oxide

  3. Carbon dioxide

  4. Both A and B
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Air pollution from burning of fossil fuels is the major cause of acid rain. The main chemicals in air pollution that create acid rain are sulfur dioxide ($SO _2$) and nitrogen oxides. Acid rain usually forms high in the clouds where sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water, oxygen, and oxidants. this mixture forms a mild solution of sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Sunlight increases the rate of most of these reactions. Rainwater, snow, fog, and other forms of precipitation containing those mild solutions of sulfuric and nitric acids fall to earth as acid rain.

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Sulphur dioxide gas can cause acid rain.

  1. True

  2. False
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The main chemicals in air pollution that create acid rain are $SO _2$ and $NO _x$. 

Acid rain usually forms high in the clouds, where sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water, oxygen, and oxidants this mixture forms a mild solution of sulphuric acid and nitric acid.

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Suspended particulate matter like __________ emitted from industries causes yellowing of marble.

  1. dust particles

  2. acidic gases

  3. soot particles

  4. all of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Industries like Mathura Oil refinery near Agra emits certain suspended particulate matter like soot particles. This results in yellowing of marble of the monument.