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Consider the following statements regarding nitrous oxide.
1. Being a short-lived greenhouse gas, it substantially contributes to global warming.
2. When it reaches the stratosphere it reacts with ozone and depletes it, with an impact comparable to that of CFCs.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
- a)1 only
- b)2 only
- c)Both 1 and 2
- d)Neither 1 nor 2
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
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Consider the following statements regarding nitrous oxide.1. Being a s...
Nitrous oxide’s atmospheric concentration reached 333 parts per billion (ppb) in 2020, increasing at a rate of about 1 ppb annually. It is a major scavenger of stratospheric ozone, with an impact comparable to that of CFCs.
Being the third most important long-lived greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide also substantially contributes to global warming.
Most Upvoted Answer
Consider the following statements regarding nitrous oxide.1. Being a s...
Explanation:
Statement 1: Being a short-lived greenhouse gas, it substantially contributes to global warming.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. It is produced through both natural and human activities, including agricultural activities, fossil fuel combustion, and industrial processes.
Short-lived greenhouse gas:
Nitrous oxide has a relatively short atmospheric lifetime of about 114 years. Compared to long-lived greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), which can persist in the atmosphere for centuries, the shorter lifetime of nitrous oxide means that its warming effect is more immediate but also more ephemeral.
Global warming potential:
Nitrous oxide has a high global warming potential (GWP) compared to other greenhouse gases. GWP is a measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere over a given time period, relative to the same amount of CO2.
The GWP of nitrous oxide is about 298 times that of CO2 over a 100-year time horizon. This means that, per unit of mass, nitrous oxide has a much greater warming effect than CO2. However, because nitrous oxide is present in the atmosphere in much smaller quantities than CO2, its overall contribution to global warming is lower.
Conclusion for Statement 1:
Therefore, statement 1 is incorrect. Nitrous oxide, while being a potent greenhouse gas, does not substantially contribute to global warming due to its relatively short atmospheric lifetime and lower overall abundance compared to CO2.
Statement 2: When it reaches the stratosphere it reacts with ozone and depletes it, with an impact comparable to that of CFCs.
Nitrous oxide does not significantly deplete ozone in the stratosphere. The primary gases responsible for ozone depletion are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other halogenated compounds, which are entirely different from nitrous oxide.
Ozone depletion potential:
CFCs and certain other chemicals have high ozone depletion potential (ODP) because they contain chlorine and/or bromine atoms that can catalytically destroy ozone molecules in the stratosphere. Nitrous oxide does not contain these halogen elements and therefore does not have an ozone-depleting effect.
Conclusion for Statement 2:
Therefore, statement 2 is incorrect. Nitrous oxide does not react with ozone in the stratosphere and does not have an impact comparable to that of CFCs in terms of ozone depletion.
Overall Conclusion:
Both statements 1 and 2 are incorrect. Nitrous oxide, while being a potent greenhouse gas, does not substantially contribute to global warming due to its relatively short atmospheric lifetime and lower overall abundance compared to CO2. It also does not deplete ozone in the stratosphere like CFCs do.
Statement 1: Being a short-lived greenhouse gas, it substantially contributes to global warming.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. It is produced through both natural and human activities, including agricultural activities, fossil fuel combustion, and industrial processes.
Short-lived greenhouse gas:
Nitrous oxide has a relatively short atmospheric lifetime of about 114 years. Compared to long-lived greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), which can persist in the atmosphere for centuries, the shorter lifetime of nitrous oxide means that its warming effect is more immediate but also more ephemeral.
Global warming potential:
Nitrous oxide has a high global warming potential (GWP) compared to other greenhouse gases. GWP is a measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere over a given time period, relative to the same amount of CO2.
The GWP of nitrous oxide is about 298 times that of CO2 over a 100-year time horizon. This means that, per unit of mass, nitrous oxide has a much greater warming effect than CO2. However, because nitrous oxide is present in the atmosphere in much smaller quantities than CO2, its overall contribution to global warming is lower.
Conclusion for Statement 1:
Therefore, statement 1 is incorrect. Nitrous oxide, while being a potent greenhouse gas, does not substantially contribute to global warming due to its relatively short atmospheric lifetime and lower overall abundance compared to CO2.
Statement 2: When it reaches the stratosphere it reacts with ozone and depletes it, with an impact comparable to that of CFCs.
Nitrous oxide does not significantly deplete ozone in the stratosphere. The primary gases responsible for ozone depletion are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other halogenated compounds, which are entirely different from nitrous oxide.
Ozone depletion potential:
CFCs and certain other chemicals have high ozone depletion potential (ODP) because they contain chlorine and/or bromine atoms that can catalytically destroy ozone molecules in the stratosphere. Nitrous oxide does not contain these halogen elements and therefore does not have an ozone-depleting effect.
Conclusion for Statement 2:
Therefore, statement 2 is incorrect. Nitrous oxide does not react with ozone in the stratosphere and does not have an impact comparable to that of CFCs in terms of ozone depletion.
Overall Conclusion:
Both statements 1 and 2 are incorrect. Nitrous oxide, while being a potent greenhouse gas, does not substantially contribute to global warming due to its relatively short atmospheric lifetime and lower overall abundance compared to CO2. It also does not deplete ozone in the stratosphere like CFCs do.
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Consider the following statements regarding nitrous oxide.1. Being a short-livedgreenhouse gas, it substantially contributes toglobal warming.2. When it reaches thestratosphere it reacts with ozone and depletes it, with an impact comparable to that ofCFCs.Which of the above statements is/are correct?a)1 onlyb)2 onlyc)Both 1 and 2d)Neither 1 nor 2Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
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