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    PracticeAQA GCSEAQA GCSE Chemistry Higher Tier Paper 2Question 05.3
    Medium2 marksStructured
    Chemistry of the atmosphereHigheratmospheric chemistrycombustionacid rain

    AQA GCSE · Question 05.3 · Chemistry of the atmosphere

    Table 2Natural gasHydrogenFuelEnergy released in kJ11.937.1Mass of carbon dioxideproduced in grams0.001.83Mass of water vapourproduced in grams0.751.50Mass of oxides of nitrogenproduced in grams6.6 × 10⁻⁴4.9 × 10⁻⁴

    Explain one negative impact on the environment of burning hydrogen rather than natural gas as a fuel. Use Table 2.

    How to approach this question

    1. Look at Table 2 again, this time looking for a negative impact. 2. Compare the amounts of the products for hydrogen and natural gas. 3. Identify a case where hydrogen is "worse" (produces more of a harmful substance). 4. State the harmful substance and explain *why* it is harmful to the environment.

    Full Answer

    Burning hydrogen produces more oxides of nitrogen (6.6 × 10⁻⁴ g) than natural gas (4.9 × 10⁻⁴ g). Oxides of nitrogen are pollutants that can cause acid rain or respiratory problems.
    While hydrogen combustion has the major benefit of not producing CO₂, it is not without environmental drawbacks. - Looking at the row for "Mass of oxides of nitrogen produced", burning 1 dm³ of hydrogen produces 6.6 × 10⁻⁴ g, whereas natural gas produces 4.9 × 10⁻⁴ g. - This means that, per volume of fuel, hydrogen combustion produces more NOx than natural gas combustion. This is often because hydrogen can burn at a higher temperature, which favours the reaction between nitrogen and oxygen from the air. - Oxides of nitrogen are harmful pollutants. They can dissolve in water droplets in the atmosphere to form nitric acid, which then falls as acid rain. Acid rain damages buildings, harms aquatic life by acidifying lakes, and can kill trees. NOx can also contribute to the formation of smog and cause respiratory problems in humans.

    Common mistakes

    ✗ Just stating "it produces more nitrogen oxides" without explaining the environmental consequence (acid rain, etc.). ✗ Choosing a substance where hydrogen is better (e.g., CO₂ or water). ✗ Misinterpreting the standard form numbers and thinking 4.9 × 10⁻⁴ is larger than 6.6 × 10⁻⁴.
    Question 05.2All questionsQuestion 05.4

    Practice the full AQA GCSE Chemistry Higher Tier Paper 2

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