AP Environmental Science Flashcards: Reduction of Air Pollutants
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 11 cards to help you master important concepts.
At a gas station, what specific technology helps prevent gasoline fumes from entering the atmosphere?
A vapor recovery nozzle on the gasoline pump is the device that prevents fumes from escaping.
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At a gas station, what specific technology helps prevent gasoline fumes from entering the atmosphere?
A vapor recovery nozzle on the gasoline pump is the device that prevents fumes from escaping.
Compare the function of a catalytic converter and a scrubber.
A catalytic converter is used in vehicles to convert exhaust pollutants into less harmful molecules, while scrubbers are used in industrial settings to remove particulates and gases from exhaust streams.
What are wet and dry scrubbers?
They are air pollution control devices designed to remove particulates and/or gases from industrial exhaust streams.
What is a vapor recovery nozzle?
It is an air pollution control device on a gasoline pump that prevents fuel fumes from escaping into the atmosphere during refueling.
What pollutants does a catalytic converter target?
A catalytic converter targets pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and hydrocarbons.
What are the less harmful products of the reaction in a catalytic converter?
A catalytic converter transforms pollutants into carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), and water (H2O).
What is a fundamental strategy for controlling air pollution?
A primary strategy is to reduce air pollutants at their source.
What device is specifically designed to reduce air pollution from vehicle exhaust in an internal combustion engine?
A catalytic converter is the air pollution control device used for internal combustion engines to treat exhaust.
List three broad categories of methods used to reduce air pollutants.
Methods to reduce air pollutants include regulatory practices, conservation practices, and the use of alternative fuels.
A coal-fired power plant needs to reduce the amount of particulate matter and gases it releases. Which technology would be suitable?
Wet and dry scrubbers would be suitable as they are designed to remove particulates and/or gases from industrial exhaust streams.
What is a catalytic converter?
It is an air pollution control device for internal combustion engines that converts pollutants in exhaust into less harmful molecules.