C9- Chemical of the Atmosphere

Question 1

What is the theory of phase 1?

Answer 1

• The first billion years of the Earth were pretty explosive-the surface was covered in volcanoes the erupted and released lots of gases. It is thought this is how the early atmosphere was formed
• The early atmosphere was mostly CO2, with virtually no oxygen. This is quite like the atmosphere of Mars and Venus today
• Volcanic activity also built up nitrogen, which built up in the atmosphere over time as well as water vapour and small amounts of methane and ammonia

Question 2

What is the theory of phase 2?

Answer 2

• When the water vapour in the atmosphere condensed, it formed the oceans
• Lots of carbon dioxide was removed from the early atmosphere as it dissolves in the oceans. This dissolves carbon dioxide then went through a series of reactions to form carbonate precipitations that formed sediments on the seabed
• Green plants and algae evolved and absorbed some of the carbon dioxide so that they could carry out photosynthesis. Later, marine animals evolved. Their shells and skeletons contained carbonates from the oceans
• Some of the carbon these organisms took in form the atmosphere and oceans became locked up in the rocks and fossil fuels after the organism died

Question 3

What type of rock buries plants, plankton and marine animals after they die in the seabed?

Answer 3

Sedimentary

Question 4

What are crude oil and natural gas formed from deposits of?

Answer 4

Plankton

Question 5

When do crude oil and natural gas form reservoirs under the sea bed?

Answer 5

Get rapped in rocks

Question 6

What type of rock is coal?

Answer 6

Sedimentary

Question 7

What is coal made from?

Answer 7

Thick plant deposits

Question 8

What type of rock is limestone

Answer 8

Sedimentary

Question 9

What is limestone made from?

Answer 9

Calcium carbonate deposits from shells and skeletons of marine organisms

Question 10

What happened in phase 3 in short?

Answer 10

Green plants and algae produce oxygen

Question 11

What happened in phase 3 in detail?

Answer 11

• As well as absorbing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, green plants and algae produce oxygen by photosynthesis-this is when plants use light to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar
• Algae evolved first-about 2.7 billion years ago. Then over the next billion years or so, green plants also evolved.
• As oxygen levels built up in the atmosphere over time, more complex life (like animals) could evolve
• Eventually, about 200 million years ago, the atmosphere reached a composition similar to what it is today: approximately 80% nitrogen, 20% oxygen and small amounts of other gases (each only makes up less than 1% of the atmosphere), mainly carbon dioxide, noble gases and water vapour

Question 12

Is carbon dioxide a greenhouse gas?

Answer 12

Yes

Question 13

What are 3 greenhouse gasses?

Answer 13

Carbon dioxide,methane and water vapour

Question 14

What do greenhouse gasses act like to the Earth?

Answer 14

An insulator layer

Question 15

All particles absorb certain frequencies of radiation? True/False?

Answer 15

True

Question 16

Greenhouse gases absorb the incoming short wavelength radiation from the sun- but they don’t absorb the long wavelength radiation that gets reflected back towards the Earth. The long wave radiation is thermal radiation, so it results in warming of the surface of the Earth . This is the greenhouse effect. True/False

Answer 16

False do and don’ts swapped

Question 17

Is increasing carbon dioxide linked to?

Answer 17

Climate change

Question 18

What dangerous things could an increasing temperature lead to?

Answer 18

• Ice caps melting-causing sea levels rising, increasing flooding in coastal areas in coastal areas and coastal erosion
• Changes in rainfall patterns- which decreases the reliability of food
• The changes in temperature and the amount of water available in a habitat may affect wildlife

Question 19

Define carbon footprint?

Answer 19

A measure of the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released over the full life cycle of something

Question 20

What are two problems with particulates?

Answer 20

• If particles are inhaled it can get stuck in your lungs and cause respiratory problems
• They are bad for the environment and clause global dimming

Question 21

What are 2 problems with carbon monoxide?

Answer 21

• It can stop your blood from carrying oxygen. It does this by binding to the haemoglobin in your blood that normally carries oxygen is able to transfer around your body.
• Carbon monoxide doesn’t have any colour or smell, so it’s very hard to detect.

Question 22

When is sulphur dioxide released?

Answer 22

During combustion

Question 23

When are nitrogen oxides creates?

Answer 23

The internal combustion of engines

Question 24

What happens when nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide mix with clouds?

Answer 24

They form a dilute sulfuric acid or diluted nitric acid. This falls as acid rain

Question 25

What does acid rain do?

Answer 25

• Kills plants
• Damages building
• Corrodes

Question 26

What problems do sulphur dioxide and nitrate dioxide do to people’s health ?

Answer 26

Can cause respiratory problems

Question 27

Describe the proportions of gases in the modern

atmosphere

Answer 27

• Around 80% of N2
• 20% of O2
  ,
• Small quantities of CO2
  , H2O, and noble gases

Question 28

Describe the Earth’s early atmosphere and how it was formed

Answer 28

a) The Earth was hot when it was formed
b) There was significant volcanic activity
c) Gases have been released from these volcanoes
d) These gases included CO2
, N2
, CH4
, NH3
, H2O

Question 29

How did the amount of oxygen in the

atmosphere increase

Answer 29

Algae and plants produced the atmospheric O2
by photosynthesis, which can be
represented by the equation: 6 CO2+ 6 H2O → C6H12O6+ 6 O2
. As the amount of
gradually O2
increased, there were more plants that produced more oxygen.

Question 30

How did the amount of carbon dioxide in the

atmosphere decrease?

Answer 30

a) Some CO2
was dissolved in the oceans, where it reacted with metal ions to form
insoluble carbonates, such as CaCO3
, or was taken in by animals to become a part of
skeleton. When animal dies, this becomes a sedimentary rock.
b) Some CO2
was used in photosynthesis to make oxygen.

Question 31

What is the greenhouse effect? What are

greenhouse gases? Give examples

Answer 31

Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere maintain temperatures on Earth high
enough to support life.
They allow short wavelength radiation from the sun to pass through the
atmosphere to the Earth’s surface, but absorb the outgoing long wavelength
radiation from the Earth causing an increase in temperature.
Water vapour, carbon dioxide, and methane

Question 32

Why is the greenhouse effect necessary for life?

Answer 32

The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon. Without it, the Earth would be too
cold for life to exist.

Question 33

How have human activities led to an increase in

greenhouse gases?

Answer 33

Carbon dioxide – combustion and deforestation

Methane – increased farming and decomposition in landfills

Question 34

What are the potential effects of global climate

change?

Answer 34

• sea level rise, which may cause flooding and increased coastal erosion
• more frequent and severe storms
• changes in the amount, timing and distribution of rainfall
• temperature and water stress for humans and wildlife
• changes in the food-producing capacity of some regions
• changes to the distribution of wildlife species

Question 35

What is a carbon footprint?

Answer 35

A carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product, service or event.

Question 36

What actions can be taken to reduce a carbon

footprint?

Answer 36

• increased use of alternative energy supplies
• energy conservation
• carbon capture and storage (where CO2 is trapped in solvents and stored
underground)
• carbon taxes and licences
• carbon off-setting including through tree planting
• carbon neutrality – zero net release.

Question 37

What are the problems of reducing the carbon

footprint?

Answer 37

• scientific disagreement over causes and consequences of global climate change
• lack of public information and education
• lifestyle changes (people don’t want to give up their cars)
• economic considerations (it will cost money)
• incomplete international cooperation

Question 38

What are the advantages of complete combustion?

Answer 38

• less soot (carbon particulates) is made with complete combustion
• more heat per gram of fuel is released with complete combustion
• poisonous carbon monoxide is not produced with complete combustion

Question 39

How is pollution caused by combustion?

Answer 39

When a fuel burns, the gases released to the atmosphere include carbon dioxide,
water (vapour), carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen.
Solid particles and unburned hydrocarbons may also be released that form
particulates in the atmosphere

Question 40

What are the issues regarding sulfur dioxide and oxides of

nitrogen?

Answer 40

Sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen cause respiratory problems in humans and
cause acid rain. Acid rain damages plants and buildings.

Question 41

What problems do particulates cause?

Answer 41

Particulates, such as carbon particles, cause global dimming by reducing the
amount of sunlight that reaches the Earth’s surface. Particulates cause health
problems for humans because of damage to the lungs.