ClimateConnectionsChemistryWorksheet
ThisworksheetisbasedonNationalPublicRadio’s“ClimateConnection”videoseries,availableonline
at:http://www.npr.org/news/specials/climate/video/
1)Cutoutthecarbon,hydrogen,oxygenatomdiagramsfromthefollowingpages.
2)Arrangetheatomdiagramstocreatethefollowingmolecules.Askyourinstructor(orlookonline)to
determinethecorrectshapeforeachmolecule:
methane(CH4)
carbondioxide(CO2)
atmosphericoxygen(O2)
water(H2O)
glucose(C6H12O6)
fossilcarbon,suchascoal(C)
3)Photosynthesis.Duringphotosynthesis,carbondioxideandwatercombinetomakeglucose(sugar).
a.Balancethechemicalequationsothatthereisanequalnumberofeachtypeofatomonboth
sidesoftheequation.HowmanyatomsofCO2andhowmanyatomsofH2Oarerequiredinthis
reaction?HowmanyatomsofO2willbeproduced?
__CO2+__H2O!C6H12O6+__O2
Sunlightenergy
b.Arrangetheatomdiagramstoillustratethechemicalreactionforphotosynthesis,usingthe
correctshapeorstructureforeachmolecule.
4)Respiration:Whenananimaleatsglucose,itbreaksdowntoformcarbondioxideandwater.
a.Balancethechemicalequation,sothatthereisanequalnumberofeachtypeofatomon
bothsidesofthereaction.
C6H12O6+____O2!__CO2+__H2O+energy
b.Arrangetheatomdiagramstoillustratethechemicalreactionforrespiration.
5)Geologicalcarbonsequestration:Aplantfullofglucosegetsburiedbysealevelrise,andcompression
drivesoffmostofthehydrogenandoxygen,leavingmostlycarbon.Arrangetheatomdiagramsto
illustratetheprocessofgeologicalcarbonsequestration.
Onesourcegivesthefollowingempiricalformulaforbituminouscoal:C137H97O9NS.Thechemical
compositionofcoalisapproximately:
75–90%Carbon
4.5–5.5%Hydrogen
1–1.5%Nitrogen
1–2%Sulfur
5–20%Oxygen
2–10%Ash
1–10%Moisture
6)Fossilfuelburning:Geologicallysequesteredcarbon(suchascoal)isminedandburned(combined
withatmosphericoxygen)toproduceenergy.Whencoalisburned,thecarboncombineswithoxygenin
theatmospheretoformcarbondioxide.
C + O2 = CO2
Ifonetonofcoalisburned,approximatelyhowmanytonsofcarbondioxidewillbeproduced?_______
4)OPTIONAL:Pickoneofthefourchemicalreactions(photosynthesis,respiration,carbon
sequestration,orfossilfuelburning)andwriteastoryaboutit,keepingtheCarbonCycleinmind.Add
uniquedetailstoyourstorytomakeitmorememorable.Makeyourstoryascompellingandmemorable
aspossible.Writeitoutindetail,likeinstructionsforaplay,onaseparatepieceofpaper.Glueortape
thecartoonchemical“actors”tothe“stage”sheet.(Youcanprintadditionalcopiesifyouwishtoshow
beforeandafter.)Youmayaddotherelementstoyourstoryifyouneedto.(Forinstance,acalcium
atomwillbeneededifyourstorywillfeaturetheCaCO3thatmakesuptheshellsofmanymarine
creatures.)
References:
http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Ce-Co/Coal.html
http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/1organic/coal.html