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Ch.18 - Chemistry of the Environment
Chapter 18, Problem 82b

The concentration of H2O in the stratosphere is about 5 ppm. It undergoes photodissociation according to: H2O1g2 ¡ H1g2 + OH1g2 (b) Using Table 8.3, calculate the wavelength required to cause this dissociation.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Photodissociation

Photodissociation is a process in which a chemical compound breaks down into its components upon absorbing light. In the case of water vapor (H2O), it can dissociate into hydrogen (H) and hydroxyl radicals (OH) when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Understanding this concept is crucial for analyzing how light interacts with molecules in the atmosphere and the resulting chemical reactions.

Wavelength and Energy Relationship

The energy of a photon is inversely related to its wavelength, described by the equation E = hc/λ, where E is energy, h is Planck's constant, c is the speed of light, and λ is the wavelength. This relationship is essential for calculating the wavelength required to provide enough energy to break chemical bonds during photodissociation. Knowing how to manipulate this equation allows for the determination of the specific wavelength needed for a given reaction.
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Parts Per Million (ppm)

Parts per million (ppm) is a unit of measurement used to describe the concentration of a substance in a solution or mixture. In the context of atmospheric chemistry, a concentration of 5 ppm indicates that there are 5 molecules of H2O for every million molecules of air. This concept is important for understanding the relative abundance of water vapor in the stratosphere and its potential impact on photodissociation processes.
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Related Practice
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In 1986 an electrical power plant in Taylorsville, Georgia, burned 8,376,726 tons of coal, a national record at that time. (a) Assuming that the coal was 83% carbon and 2.5% sulfur and that combustion was complete, calculate the number of tons of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide pro- duced by the plant during the year.

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The water supply for a midwestern city contains the following impurities: coarse sand, finely divided particulates, nitrate ions, trihalomethanes, dissolved phosphorus in the form of phosphates, potentially harmful bacterial strains, dissolved organic substances. Which of the following processes or agents, if any, is effective in removing each of these impurities: coarse sand filtration, activated carbon filtration, aeration, ozonization, precipitation with aluminum hydroxide?

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An impurity in water has an extinction coefficient of 3.45⨉103 M-1 cm-1 at 280 nm, its absorption maximum (A Closer Look, p. 576). Below 50 ppb, the impurity is not a problem for human health. Given that most spectrometers cannot detect absorbances less than 0.0001 with good reliability, is measuring the absorbance of a water sample at 280 nm a good way to detect concentrations of the impurity above the 50-ppb threshold?

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The following data were collected for the desturction of O3 by H (O3 + H → O2 + OH) at very low concentrations (b) Calculate the rate constant

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The precipitation of Al(OH)3 (Ksp) = 1.3⨉10-33) is sometimes used ot purify water. (a) Estimate the pH at which precipitation of Al(OH)3 will begin if 5.0 lb of Al2(SO4)3 is added to 2000 gal of water

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