3. Mass Balance Calculation

Try these first

1. 1.

   Define mass balance.

   Hint

   Think about how substances enter and leave a system.

2. 2.

   What is the purpose of partitioning constants?

   Hint

   Consider how a chemical behaves in water and solid states.

3. 3.

   What is the term for the balance of mass in environmental systems?

   • Energy Balance
   • Mass Balance
   • Rate Balance

   Hint

   Consider conservation laws in systems.

4. 4.

   True or False: The concentration of a substance in water can exceed its solubility.

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   Review what solubility means.

5. 5.

   A contaminated site has 200 kg of chemical A. If the log Koc is 3.5 and the aqueous solubility is 0.5 mg/L, calculate the mass of A that can dissolve in water and the remaining mass in solids.

   Hint

   Use the solubility as a cap for dissolved mass.

6. 6.

   If moisture content in a soil is found to be 0.8, how would that affect the mass balance equations compared to a soil with 0.3 moisture content?

   Hint

   Analyze how the total mass differs between high and low moisture contexts.