Uploaded September 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Atmospheric chemistry is difficult to show to students because concentrations of pollutants are extremely small, and we do not have the benefit of UV light forming radicals and other active chemicals. So here I use hydrogen peroxide to oxidise sulfur dioxide (which in water forms a weak acid) to sulfur trioxide (which in water forms a strong acid) but then find that nitrogen oxides carry out the same purpose. However, the effects experienced in the 80s have diminished which show we can solve these problems.
Atmospheric chemistry is difficult to show to students because concentrations of pollutants are extremely small, and we do not have the benefit of UV light forming radicals and other active chemicals. So here I use hydrogen peroxide to oxidise sulfur dioxide (which in water forms a weak acid) to sulfur trioxide (which in water forms a strong acid) but then find that nitrogen oxides carry out the same purpose. However, the effects experienced in the 80s have diminished which show we can solve these problems.
