Question

What is the role of activated charcoal in gas masks used in mines?
A. It acts as an adsorbent for poisonous gases present in coal mines.
B. It acts as an adsorbent for coal particles present in coal mines.
C. It acts as a mask through which exhaled gases are diffused out.
D. It acts as a base for scattering the light.

Answer 1

Hint: Activated charcoal is a fine powder which is black in color made from coconut shells, wood or other substances. It is a form of carbon processed to have low-volume, small pores that increases the surface area available for adsorption. It adsorbs the molecules in its pore structure.

Step by step answer: Gas masks used in mines contain activated charcoal to aid in breathing.
During mining, the workers might encounter many poisonous gases.
Activated charcoal, also known as activated carbon, acts as an adsorbent that absorbs other gases on its surface and is heated to increase its adsorbent activity. Activated charcoal is safe even if its particles enter the mouth.

Activated charcoal adsorbs poisonous gases (contaminants) instead of oxygen and provides fresh oxygen for the purpose of inhaling for workers.

It forms chemical bonds with toxins so that they are separated from the safe ones.
So, the gas masks used in mines have activated charcoal to absorb poisonous gases from the coal mines.

The correct option is Option A.

Additional Information: Activated charcoal is a very good adsorbent because it is a highly porous material with very small pores and produces a large surface area to which contaminants gets adsorbed.

Note: The word absorption is different from adsorption. Absorption is a process in which a fluid is sucked up by a solid or a liquid whereas adsorption is a process in which particles or atoms from a substance are seized to the surface of adsorbent. Do not confuse between these two words because there is only one letter difference in their names.