On this day in Chemistry HistoryOn this day in Chemistry Historyhttp://www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry/collections/chemistry-calendar/may-13#otdic_content

13th May, 2013

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American chemist John Bailar was born on this day in 1904. He discovered that isomers could exist in inorganic compounds. Bailar became recognised as the “father of American coordination chemistry”. Isomers?Compounds with the same chemical composition but different structural formulas,

Last Thursday (9th May, 2013)…

• It was announced that the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide had breached the symbolically important level of 400ppm.

• For first time in 500M years.

Why is this important?

• Link with global warming (climate change)

ObjectivesIGCSE Chemistry (Core)• State that carbon dioxide and methane are greenhouse

gases and may contribute to climate change.

• IGCSE Combined Science (Chemistry, Supplement)• Explain why the proportion of carbon dioxide in the

atmosphere is increasing, and why this is important.

Composition of the Atmosphere

90% of the mass of the atmosphere is in the lowest 16km (troposphere).

This is the part we refer to as ‘air’

Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii

Effects on Plants and Animals

Effects on Plants and Animals

Within the next 70 years:• Habitats for a third (34%) of land animal species

halved.• Habitats for half (57%) the World’s plant species

halved.• Reptiles and amphibians at greatest risk.• Largest losses predicted from sub-Saharan

Africa, Central America, Amazonia and Australia.

Nature Climate Change, May 2013

Pests and Diseases

• Higher temperatures suspected of contributing to spread of blue-tongue disease in sheep and cattle in Britain.

• Transmitted by midge, Culicoides imicola.

Other Greenhouse Gases

One-third of the World’s methane emissions (900bn tonnes p.a.) come from the gut bacteria of farm animals.

Tasks

IG2 + IG3 (Exam candidates): Answer Qs on AS exam paper.

IG1. Make a poster describing the ‘greenhouse effect’