Suppressing wildfires with chemistry
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To control wildfires, airplanes often dump a red powder called Phos-Chek onto vegetation. What is it? And how does it work? Test your knowledge of the chemistry involved.
01
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Which of the following ammonium compounds is commonly used in the fire retardant Phos-Chek?
Ammonium carbonate
Ammonium nitrate
Ammonium chloride
Ammonium phosphate
Copper(I) oxide
Iron(III) oxide
Cadmium oxide
Strontium oxide
02
Which of the following compounds is commonly used to give Phos-Chek its red color?
Cellulose
Lignin
Chlorophyll
Water
03
Which component of organic matter like trees and leaves do the ammonium compounds in Phos-Chek react with?
1821
1962
1891
1991
04
In what year was the use of ammonium phosphate as a flame retardant first proposed?
It doesn’t break down in the environment.
It kills vegetation.
It’s hazardous to aquatic organisms.
It’s toxic to humans.
05
Which of the following is a prime concern related to the use of Phos-Chek as a fire retardant?
4.5 million
273 million
136 million
409 million
06
Between 2000 and 2010, how many liters of fire retardant were dropped on national forest lands in the US?
2000
1997
2005
07
When was the first aerially applied Phos-Chek product introduced?
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