[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What would you say
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is the most important discovery
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,made in the past few centuries?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Is it the computer?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The car?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Electricity?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or maybe the discovery of the atom?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I would argue that it is this chemical reaction:
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a nitrogen gas molecule
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,plus three hydrogen gas molecules
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,gets you two ammonia gas molecules.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is the Haber process
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of binding nitrogen molecules in the air
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to hydrogen molecules,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or turning air into fertilizer.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Without this reaction,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,farmers would be capable of producing enough food
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for only 4 billion people;
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,our current population is just over 7 billion people.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, without the Haber process,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,over 3 billion people would be without food.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You see, nitrogen in the form of nitrate, NO3,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is an essential nutrient for plants to survive.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As crops grow, they consume the nitrogen,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,removing it from the soil.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The nitrogen can be replenished
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,through long, natural fertilization processes
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like decaying animals,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but humans want to grow food
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,much faster than that.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, here's the frustrating part:
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,78% of the air is composed of nitrogen,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but crops can't just take nitrogen from the air
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because it contains very strong triple bonds,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which crops cannot break.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What Haber did basically
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was figure out a way
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to take this nitrogen in the air
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and put it into the ground.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In 1908, the German chemist Fritz Haber
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,developed a chemical method
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for utilizing the vast supply of nitrogen in the air.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Haber found a method
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which took the nitrogen from the air
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and bonded it to hydrogen
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to form ammonia.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Ammonia can then be injected into the soil,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where it is quickly converted into nitrate.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But if Haber's process was going to be used
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to feed the world,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he would need to find a way
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to create a lot of this ammonia quickly and easily.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In order to understand
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,how Haber accomplished this feat,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we need to know something
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about chemical equilibrium.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Chemical equilibrium can be achieved
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when you have a reaction in a closed container.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For example, let's say you put
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,hydrogen and nitrogen into a closed container
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and allow them to react.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the beginning of the experiment,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you have a lot of nitrogen and hydrogen,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so the formation of ammonia proceeds a high speed.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But as the hydrogen and nitrogen react
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and get used up,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the reaction slows down
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because there is less hydrogen and nitrogen
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the container.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Eventually, the ammonia molecules reach a point
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where they start to decompose
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into the hydrogen and nitrogen.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After a while, they two reactions,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,creating and breaking down ammonia,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,will reach the same speed.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When these speeds are equal,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we say the reaction has reached equilibrium.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This might sound good, but it's not
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when what you want
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is to just create a ton of ammonia.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Haber doesn't want the ammonia to break down at all,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but if you simply leave the reaction
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in a closed container,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that's what will happen.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Here's where Henry Le Chatelier,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a French chemist,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can help.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What he found was
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that if you take a system in equilibrium
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you add something to it,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like, say, nitrogen,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the system will work
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to get back to equilibrium again.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Le Chatelier also found
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that if you increase
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the amount of pressure on a system,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the system tries to work
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to return the pressure it had.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's like being in a crowded room.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The more molecules there are,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the more pressure there is.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If we look back at our equation,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we see that on the left-hand side,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there are four molecules on the left
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and just two on the right.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, if we want the room to be less crowded,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and therefore have less pressure,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the system will start combining
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,nitrogen and hydrogen
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to make the more compact ammonia molecules.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Haber realized that in order to make
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,large amounts of ammonia,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he would have to create a machine
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that would continually add nitrogen and hygrogen
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while also increasing the pressure
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on the equilibrium system,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is exactly what he did.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Today, ammonia is one of the most produced
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,chemical compounds in the world.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Roughly 131 million metric tons are produced a year,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is about 290 billion pounds of ammonia.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's about the mass
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of 30 million African elephants,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,weighing roughly 10,000 pounds each.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,80% of this ammonia is used in fertilizer production,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while the rest is used
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in industrial and household cleaners
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and to produce other nitrogen compounds,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,such as nitric acid.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Recent studies have found
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that half of nitrogen from these fertilizers
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is not assimilated by plants.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Consequently, the nitrogen is found
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as a volatile chemical compound
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the Earth's water supply and atmosphere,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,severely damaging our environment.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of course, Haber did not foresee this problem
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when he introduced his invention.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Following his pioneering vision,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,scientists today are looking
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for a new process of the 21st century,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which will reach the same level of aid