CHE E122 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Environmental Chemistry, Forensic Chemistry, Oxidation State
Document Summary
A major part of environmental and forensic chemistry is analytical. In environmental chemistry, we try to find how natural processes work and then find out how humans have impacted on such processes and equilibria. This necessarily includes knowing how to analyse the types and amounts of chemical species present speciation and concentration. Includes atmospheric (gas phase) chemistry, aqueous chemistry, solid-state chemistry and surface chemistry. Environmental chemistry is also related to green chemistry - the study of chemical processes to minimise negative environmental impacts. Describes the part of the environment that consists of organisms and biological matter. Plant photosynthesis is what converts atmospheric co2 into higher-energy biomass, represented by {ch2o}. For this lecture, you need to be able to recall oxidation numbers (covered in first year). It shows the distribution of electrons within molecules or ions. Elements have an oxidation number of zero (0). The oxidation number of all group 1a metals = +1 (unless elemental).
