atmosphere Flashcards
what percentage of the eath’s atmosphere is nitrogen
78%
what percentage of the earth’s atmosphere is oxygen
21%
what is the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
0.04%
what is the volcanic theory about the gases in the earth
4 points
that volcanoes released carbon dioxide, water vapour and nitrogen and these gases formed the early atmosphere
water vapour condensed and fell as rain to form the oceans
carbon dioxide dissolved into the oceans
there was little to no oxygen
what were the first organisms on the planet and how did they source energy
simple organisms like bacteria began to form which used the breakdown of chemicals as a source of energy
what caused the rise in oxygen in the atmosphere
more complex organisms like algae and plants started to form which carried out photosynthesis. This resulted in oxygen to be emitted into the atmosphere and the carbon dioxide levels to decrease
chemical equation for photosynthesis
6CO2 + 6H2O —> C6H12O6 + 6O2
where did most of the carbon dioxide in the early atmosphere go (5)
- plants for photosynthesis
- layers of sediment
- coal
- crude oil
- dissolved in water in the oceans
what happened to the ammonia and methane in the early atmosphere
the methane and ammonia reacted with the oxygen produced by photosynthesis.
Methane and oxygen created carbon dioxide and water
ammonia and oxygen created nitrogen and water
what is the percentage of argon in the atmosphere
0.9%
what percentage of other gases are in the atmosphere
0.06%
what are the main greenhouse gases
- water vapour
- methane
- carbon dioxide
why is the greenhouse effect important
because it stops all the heat energy supplied by the sun from being reflected back into space. Without the greenhouse effect, the earth would be veery cold
what kinds of waves do greenhouse gases allow through
short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation (UV)
what radiation do greenhouse gases absorb
infrared (thermal) radiation which the earth emits which is longer wavelength radiation. The radiation stimulates the bonds in the gases to vibrate, raising their temperature.
