Student Competencies: These will be updated as the semester
progresses and as we cover them.
Fundamental Chemistry Competencies
- Understand and clearly be able to explain and diagram
blackbody (thermal) radiation. Use Wien’s Law to calculate temperatures or wavelengths of
maximum absorption.
- Be able to interconvert among photon energies,
frequencies, and wavelengths in various units.
- Understand and write chemical equation for given
photodecomposition processes. Be
able to use bond energies to calculate the range of wavelengths or
frequencies with sufficient energies.
- For
a given reaction, use bond energy tables to estimate whether it is
endothermic or exothermic; relate this result to the expected rate of the
reaction for atmospheric reactions that involve free radicals. Use energy
level diagrams and an understanding of chemical kinetics to support this
rationale.
- For
a given reaction, use enthalpies of formations to calculate the overall
change in enthalpy.
- Use
the Arrhenius equation to calculate the fraction
of collisions at a given temperature with sufficient kinetic energy to
react. Draw both reaction-coordinate energy diagrams and kinetic molecular
distributions to clearly illustrate this. Be able to rapidly calculate relative
rates for a given reaction and activation energy at different
temperatures.
- Be
able to interconvert among gas concentration units of ppb (or ppm), molarity (M), and
molecules/cc (or per liter). Be able to quickly and to clearly show how to
convert a given concentration into ppm or ppb
units.
- For
a given chemical reaction mechanism, be able to write the rate law and to
calculate the rate of reaction from given rate constants and
concentrations.
- Be
able to quantitatively relate gas pressures to solubility in liquids using
Henry’s Law. Write appropriate equilibria
expressions from given chemical reactions or physical processes.
- Demonstrate
competence in using and in clearly explaining Le Chatelier's
Principle.
- Be
able to solve weak acid equilibria problems
using solubility results from Henry’s Law to calculate pHs.
- Use
changes in enthalpy and entropy to predict the temperature ranges over
which a reaction would be expected to become spontaneous. Be able to predict how equilibria constants for a given reaction would change
with temperature.
- Compare
the pHs of metal oxides and nonmetal oxides.
Fully discuss the acid-base characteristics of metal oxides and nonmetal
oxides.
Chemistry of the Ozone
Layer
- Know
the wavelengths associated with the visible, UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C regions
of the spectrum. Discuss the transparency of the atmosphere in each
of these spectral regions; identify the major atmospheric components
responsible for any absorptions that occur.
Discuss which of these regions have the greatest adverse impact on human
health.
- Discuss
the adverse human health consequences concerning ozone concentration
changes in the earth's stratosphere.
- Explain
how atmospheric temperature changes with altitude for the troposphere and
stratosphere. Outline the reactions that cause the temperature changes
with altitude that are observed in the stratosphere.
- Compare
the degree of air mixing that occurs in the troposphere and
stratosphere. Explain why this occurs.
- Understand
how ozone concentration varies with altitude; explain using chemical
reaction rates why this pattern of ozone variation occurs.
- Outline
the set of reactions that are involved with the production and destruction
of ozone in the stratosphere.
- Discuss
the mechanism involved with the noncatalytic and
catalytic destruction of ozone.
- Discuss
the work published by Roland and Molina during the early 1970's concerning
stratospheric ozone. Outline the set of reactions that explained and
that formed the basis for their concern.
- During
the late 1970's, there was a great deal of concern about the effect of
supersonic transport planes on stratospheric ozone concentrations.
Understand how the pollutant of concern is generated as well as the
mechanism through which it could have affected stratospheric ozone levels.
Explain whether this is still a concern today.
- Understand
and explain why a depletion of stratospheric ozone occurs during early
spring over the South Pole. Predict how a mild winter over Antarctica would be expected to affect this
phenomenon. Explain how the ozone concentration returns to normal
levels in late spring.
- Understand
why HCFC's are being used to replace
CFC's. Use key reactions to explain why they are much less effective
in depleting stratospheric ozone.
- Be able to discuss the forms of inactive chlorine in
the stratosphere and outline sink reactions for each.
Photochemical Smog
- Understand
and outline the specific mechanism and reactions for the tropospheric production of ozone.
- Outline
the daily ozone cycle and how ozone and its precursor concentrations
change during a given day; discuss the seasonal variation for tropospheric ozone formation and the underlying basis
for this.
- Explain
the sources and causes of ozone precursor emissions
- Demonstrate
an understanding of ozone control strategies; discuss VOC-limited and NOx-limited regions.
- Describe
the design of a three-way catalytic convertor;
identify the pollutants and reactions involved.
- Understand
the basis for ozone's toxicity; be able to describe how anthropogenic
pollutants affect ozone levels in the troposphere and stratosphere.
Acid Rain
- Outline
the series of reactions involved in sulfuric acid rain. Do the same
for nitric acid.
- Outline
the reaction for the oxidation of sulfur dioxide and for the solubility
reaction for both the reactant and the product with water.
- Coal-fired
plants often feed limestone with coal into incinerators; explain the basis
for this and clearly show all appropriate reactions.
- Relate
atmospheric CO2 levels with rainfall acidity. Outline the
reactions that occur between aqueous and gas phase as well as the aqueous
phase equilibria. Be able to competently conduct
quantitative calculations to predict rainfall pHs
from given atmospheric vapor concentrations.
- Outline
and fully describe the mechanism through which acidic rainfall damages
trees and adversely affects fish.
- Discuss
efforts being made to reduce acid rain pollution; be very specific and
identify each of the major overall contributors that are addressing this
problem.
Particulates
- Define
TSP, PM10, and PM2.5 and describe their historic significance.
- Outline
the mechanism of toxicity for particulates.
- Identify
the three major categories of anthropogenic fine particulates, clearly describe
the sources of these, and outline what specific actions are being taken to
address these problems.
- Describe
epidemiological studies that have been conducted in this country
concerning particulates and human health.
Tropospheric Chemical Reactivity
- Understand
the role of the hydroxyl radical in tropospheric
chemistry, how it is formed, how it reacts, and what its sinks are.
- Outline
the multi-step mechanism for the oxidation of methane to carbon
dioxide. Understand each of the reactions involved, the
rate-limiting step and the stable molecules formed during the oxidation
process.
- Discuss
the specific impacts of increased VOC oxidation on photochemical smog
formation.
Climate Change
- Describe
the natural and enhanced greenhouse effects. Identify the two and three
more important substances for each of these respectively and describe
their infrared absorption features.
- Describe
what is meant by thermal radiation and identify the two properties of
thermal radiation that change with temperature.
- Identify
the important molecular property that governs whether a molecule will
absorb infrared radiation.
- Explain
how and why ocean levels are expected to be affected by climate change;
discuss the two most important factors that will cause changes in ocean
levels.
- Know
the current and pre-industrial atmospheric concentrations for carbon
dioxide; understand and be able to clearly explain the underlying reason
for the annual pattern of CO2 concentration fluctuations
observed in the atmosphere.
- Explain
the historical basis for the observed changes in atmospheric carbon
dioxide levels; discuss and explain the expected changes that will occur
during the rest of this century.
- Outline
and fully describe the six major sources for methane in the earth’s
atmosphere.
- Discuss
specifically what is meant by aerosols, identify the factors that lead to
their generation, and outline the effects of aerosols on climate change
and why that is the case.
Energy
- Outline the three
major sources of fossil fuel energy and write combustion equations for
each of these.
- Discuss
our nation’s reliance on this triad of fossil fuels in terms of available
long-term resources.
- Specifically
explain the underlying scientific principles involved in the generation of
nuclear energy.
- Outline
the current role of US
nuclear energy and the changes that are being implemented over the next
two decades.
- Fully
discuss the two or three main disadvantages of nuclear power. Outline in
detail the advantages of nuclear power.
- Discuss
the uranium enrichment process and comment on the percentage of
potentially available energy that is currently being harvested in nuclear
power plants.
- Discuss
the radon environmental issue; describe the source of radon, the reason
the element radon is an issue, and the steps normally taken to detect and
to address radon problems.
- Outline
the set of reactions and describe the toxic mechanism of action occurring
in humans exposed to a lethal dose of nuclear radioactivity.
- Comment
on the status of wind energy development in the nation and the Carolinas.
Compare this with solar energy.
- Discuss
biofuels in terms of their chemical makeup and
their utility, if any, in addressing climate change.
Toxicology
- Diagram
and interpret dose response curves; clearly explain how no observable adverse
effects levels (NOAEL) are established by the industrial hygiene
community.
- Outline
and describe the various routes of entry for toxins into the human body.
- Clearly
explain what is meant by carcinogens, mutagens, and teratogens;
describe what chronic and acute effects are.
- Explain
what specifically is meant by dose.
Estimate the dose of exposure from breathing air, drinking water,
or eating food.
Toxic Organics
- Draw
the molecular structure for DDT and outline the substance’s historical
significance, both during World War II and as portrayed in Rachel Carson’s
Silent Spring.
- Outline
the key properties of organochlorine pesticides
that control their biodegradability and biopersistence.
- Define
Kow and solve problems involving its
use.
- Discuss
bioconcentration and biomagnification
of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
- Discuss
the role of organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides that have come into widespread
use over the past two decades.
- Describe
the chlorinated phenoxy herbicides and outline
their historical significance.
- Effectively
discuss the utility of “Round-Up Ready” crops such as soy beans and corn.
- Draw
structures for PCDDs, PCBs, and PCDFs; outline
their sources and describe their toxicity.
- Show
what PAHs are, how they are produced, and what
their toxic effects would be. Outline their specific molecular mechanism
of action in humans.
- Identify
the major classes of environmental estrogens and discuss their effects on
living organisms. Describe why this
has become an issue over the past 150 years.
- Discuss
the fire retardant substances added to cushions and carpets.
- Outline
the substances that are released into the environment from Teflon-coated
materials.
Toxic Metals
- Outline
the mechanism of action through which heavy metals exhibit their toxicity;
be very specific.
- Discuss
the specific forms of mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium that
are most toxic to humans.
- Outline
the major environmental health issues related to heavy metals and describe
actions being taken to address them.
- Discusses
the major sources of lead in the environment and the changes that have
occurred in these over the past several decades.
- Outline
the uses humans have had for arsenic-containing substances over the years.
Natural Waters
- Know Henry’s Law and be able
to use it both qualitatively and quantitatively.
- Discuss
and clearly explain what is meant by thermal pollution, biological oxygen
demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC),
and dissolved organic carbon (DOC).
- Demonstrate a detailed
understanding of aerobic and anaerobic conditions in surface waters to
include the reason for their existence, the chemical species present in
each, and the seasonal changes expected to occur.
- Identify oxidation numbers
for given chemical species; use these to determine the oxidizing agent,
the substance being oxidized, the reducing agent, and the substance being
reduced.
- Discuss acid mine drainage,
the underlying chemical basis for the problem, and the adverse
environmental effects this causes.
- Outline and be able to
effectively use the appropriate acid-base equilibria
involving atmospheric carbon dioxide and natural waters. Discuss and clearly support the effects
of these equilbria upon solubility.
- Outline and be able to
effectively use the appropriate acid-base equilibria
involving limestone-based materials and natural waters. Discuss and clearly support the effects
of these equilbria upon solubility.
- Outline and clearly explain
the interaction between atmospheric carbon dioxide and calcium carbonate
solubility.
- Discuss and clearly define
water hardness; outline the basis for the historical use of triphosphates in detergents and the environmental
problems they caused.
- Demonstrate an understanding
of aluminum levels found in lakes having various pH’s;
clearly show and explain the appropriate equilibria.
- Understand what is meant by
the alkalinity index and clearly explain the utility of this for assessing
potential environmental impacts.
The Pollution and Purification of Water
- Outline the basic steps taken
in drinking water purification processes and provide a detailed
explanation of each.
- Discuss the basis for the
primary water disinfectant used in this country; show all appropriate
chemical equilibria.
- Demonstrate an understanding
of colloids and discuss the recently developed use of filtering technology
to disinfect water.
- Understand the form that hypochlorous acid is in over various pH’s and discuss the role of these forms in acting as a
disinfectant.
- Fully discuss the toxic
organics found in ground water to include BTEX and chlorinated organics. Understand and diagram what is meant by
LNAPL and DNAPL in ground water.
- Discuss the pollution of
surface and ground water by MTBE; diagram it, outline its role, and
discuss the underlying reasons why it is a water pollutant.
- Discuss THM water pollutants,
outline the basis for their being in water, and discuss their relative prevalence
in ground and surface waters.
- Discuss and diagram aquifers,
surface water, and ground water. Discuss what this nation is doing to its
aquifers, be very specific and detailed.
- Define MCL and MCLG; outline
the difference between these and the basis for this difference