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Chapter 13: Problem 28

What is thermal pollution? Why is it harmful to aquatic life?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Thermal pollution is the rise in temperature in bodies of water due to human activities like industrial output. This rise in temperature can be harmful to aquatic life by reducing oxygen levels in the water, disrupting life cycles, and even causing the death of species that cannot resist the elevated temperatures.

Step by step solution

01

Define Thermal Pollution

Thermal pollution refers to an increase in the normal temperature of natural bodies of water, which may be a result of human activities. Common contributors to thermal pollution are power plants, industrial manufacturers, and residential areas that release hot or warm water into nearby bodies of water such as rivers, seas, or oceans.
02

Explain Effects on Aquatic Life

Increasing the temperature of water bodies can have harmful effects on aquatic life. Warmer waters carry less oxygen, which aquatic creatures need to survive. This reduction in oxygen levels can lead to the death of fish and other aquatic organisms. In addition, warmer temperatures can disrupt the life cycle of many aquatic species, with certain stages requiring specific temperature conditions to occur such as breeding or hatching. Moreover, some species might not be able to resist the heat and die, causing a shift in the local biodiversity.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Arrange these compounds in order of increasing solubility in water: \(\mathrm{O}_{2}, \mathrm{LiCl}, \mathrm{Br}_{2}, \mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{OH}\) (methanol).

The vapor pressure of ethanol \(\left(\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{5} \mathrm{OH}\right)\) at \(20^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) is \(44 \mathrm{mmHg},\) and the vapor pressure of methanol \(\left(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{OH}\right)\) at the same temperature is \(94 \mathrm{mmHg}\). A mixture of \(30.0 \mathrm{~g}\) of methanol and \(45.0 \mathrm{~g}\) of ethanol is prepared (and may be assumed to behave as an ideal solution). (a) Calculate the vapor pressure of methanol and ethanol above this solution at \(20^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\). (b) Calculate the mole fraction of methanol and ethanol in the vapor above this solution at \(20^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\).

Describe how you would use the freezing-point depression and osmotic pressure measurements to determine the molar mass of a compound. Why is the boiling- point elevation phenomenon normally not used for this purpose?

The solubility of \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) in water at \(25^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) and \(1 \mathrm{~atm}\) is \(0.034 \mathrm{~mol} / \mathrm{L}\). What is its solubility under atmospheric conditions? (The partial pressure of \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) in air is 0.0003 atm.) Assume that \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) obeys Henry's law.

A man bought a goldfish in a pet shop. Upon returning home, he put the goldfish in a bowl of recently boiled water that had been cooled quickly. A few minutes later the fish was dead. Explain what happened to the fish.
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