1-8: Man-made Chemicals, CFCs

Importance of this Unit to the Course

Certain chemicals manufactured for commercial use do not occur in nature. When these chemicals are released into the environment they may have unintended consequences under conditions or at locations not considered in product safety tests. This unit provides information on such chemicals so that we have scientific basis for discussing possible need for regulatory action and public policy as will be discussed in Block 3.

Objectives

To understand the special properties of unique man-made chemicals.
To understand the conditions that make these chemicals reactive.

Preparation for Discussion (You must complete this section before class.)

Read the summary information. (Print text for offline review; images only.)

Take the Quiz

Review additional reading material (this material is not covered in the quiz, but offers more ideas for online discussion)

Discussion (online / face-to-face) (See your portfolio for due dates and times)

A major component of the course is participation in the online dialog. The following types of comments are required:

Social Comments
Knowledge-building Comments
Ethical Comments

The following may be used as discussion starters for the online dialog:

Unit Problem to Ponder:

If the number mixing ratio of a particular CFC in the stratosphere is uniform with height, will it contribute to stratospheric ozone depletion? Why or why not?
Unit exam questions from previous years
Unit discussions from previous years, available from the current online discussion

Additional Reading