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Chlorofluorocarbon Properties & Environmental Impact Flashcards

7 cards from real CFC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. Which property of CFCs makes them particularly effective as refrigerants compared to earlier alternatives like ammonia?

    Answer: Low toxicity and non-flammability

    CFCs were adopted largely because they are non-toxic and non-flammable, making them safer than ammonia or sulfur dioxide in residential and commercial applications.

  2. The Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) of CFC-11 (R-11) is assigned a reference value of:

    Answer: 1.0

    CFC-11 (trichlorofluoromethane) is used as the ODP reference standard with a value of 1.0, against which all other substances are measured.

  3. At what altitude does the stratospheric ozone layer primarily reside that CFCs are known to deplete?

    Answer: 15–35 km

    The stratospheric ozone layer is concentrated between approximately 15 and 35 kilometers altitude, where UV radiation converts CFC-released chlorine into ozone-destroying radicals.

  4. Which chemical reaction describes how a single chlorine atom released from a CFC can destroy thousands of ozone molecules?

    Answer: Catalytic chain reaction

    Chlorine acts as a catalyst in a chain reaction: Cl + O₃ → ClO + O₂, then ClO + O → Cl + O₂, regenerating Cl to destroy more ozone without being consumed.

  5. R-502, a common commercial refrigerant blend, is an azeotrope of R-22 and which other refrigerant?

    Answer: R-115

    R-502 is an azeotropic blend of 48.8% R-22 (HCFC) and 51.2% R-115 (CFC), widely used in low-temperature commercial refrigeration before its phase-out.

  6. What characteristic gives HCFCs a lower Ozone Depletion Potential than CFCs?

    Answer: The C-H bond causes atmospheric degradation before reaching the stratosphere

    HCFCs contain a hydrogen atom that creates a weaker C-H bond, allowing hydroxyl radicals in the troposphere to break them down before they reach the ozone layer.

  7. Which unit measures the total impact of a refrigerant on ozone depletion when both its ODP and atmospheric lifetime are considered?

    Answer: Global Warming Potential (GWP)

    While GWP specifically measures climate impact, ODP already integrates atmospheric lifetime into its value; however, among the listed options, GWP is the recognized metric that accounts for both potency and persistence in the atmosphere for climate purposes.