Question
Scientist 2 explains that ice sublimes to water vapor and enters Europa's atmosphere. If ultraviolet light then broke those water vapor molecules apart, which of the following gases would one most likely expect to find in Europa's atmosphere as a result of this process? Nitrogen Methane Chlorine Oxygen
Answer
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Jasper
Professional · Tutor for 6 years
Answer
D. Oxygen
Explanation
The process described involves the sublimation of ice into water vapor, which then enters Europa's atmosphere. Sublimation is the transition of a substance directly from the solid to the gas phase without passing through the intermediate liquid phase. In this case, the ice (solid water, H2O) turns directly into water vapor (gaseous H2O).When ultraviolet (UV) light interacts with water vapor molecules, it can cause the molecules to break apart in a process known as photodissociation. The water molecule, which is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H2O), would be split into hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O2) by the energy from the UV light.The options provided are Nitrogen, Methane, Chlorine, and Oxygen. Nitrogen (N2) and Methane (CH4) are not produced from the photodissociation of water vapor, as they contain elements (nitrogen and carbon, respectively) that are not present in water. Chlorine (Cl2) is also not a product of water vapor photodissociation, as chlorine is not a component of water.The only gas from the provided options that would be produced from the photodissociation of water vapor is Oxygen (O2). Therefore, the most likely gas to be found in Europa's atmosphere as a result of this process is Oxygen.Hence, the accurate answer is D. Oxygen.