C9 - Chemistry Of The Atmosphere

Question 1

What is the present composition of the atmosphere?

Answer 1

78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
1% CO2/water vapour/noble gases

Question 2

What is the start of the evolution of the atmosphere story? first 1 billion years

Answer 2

Intense volcanic activity releasing lots of CO2, water vapour! , nitrogen, ammonia, methane - little to no oxygen

Question 3

What is step 2 in evolution of the atmosphere

Answer 3

Less volcanic activity - earth started to cool - water vapour CONDENSED to form oceans

Question 4

What is step 3 in the evolution of the atmosphere?

Answer 4

First organisms developed which could perform photosynthesis - algae - releasing oxygen and taking in CO2
CO2 dissolved in the oceans + rock fell into th ocean, CO2 locked in rocks due to sediment packing it - locked in
Plankton died and were compressed into sediment - forming fossil fuels deep underground and locking in more carbon

Question 5

What is stage 4 in the story of the atmosphere?

Answer 5

Earth has very little CO2 in the atmosphere - today - mostly nitrogen and some oxygen
We burn fossil fuels which have been formed by plankton dying

Question 6

Explain how the greenhouse effect works in 3 stages

Answer 6

1. Short wave (ultraviolet) radiation from the sun passes through atmosphere and warms earth[s surface
2. Earth cools and emits long wave (infrared) radiation
3. Greenhouse gases absorb long Timon and re emit it in all directions including back to earth, warming the atmosphere

Question 7

What is the greenhouse effect

Answer 7

When gases such as CO2 absorb infrared radiation, warming earth

Question 8

What is global warming

Answer 8

Gradual increase in earth’s temperature

Question 9

Give 2 greenhouse gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect

Answer 9

CO2 + methane

Question 10

Give 4 ways we contribute to greenhouse effect

Answer 10

Burning fossil fuels
Deforestation
Cattle farming (large scale)
Landfill

Question 11

Give 2 ways we increase CO2 levels in atmosphere

Answer 11

Deforestation + burning fossil fuels

Question 12

Give 2 ways we contribute to methane in the atmosphere

Answer 12

Cattle farming and landfill

Question 13

Why does landfill produce methane

Answer 13

Decay of waste by micro organisms

Question 14

Give 3 effects of global warming

Answer 14

Glaciers melting
Sea level rise
Extreme weather events like floods/droughts

Question 15

Give 4 effects of climate change

Answer 15

Altered habitats
Changing temperature
Extreme weather events
Changes in rainfall affecting food production
Extinction of species

Question 16

What is a carbon footprint

Answer 16

Total amount of CO2 given out over the life of a product/person

Question 17

Give 4 ways to reduce carbon footprint

Answer 17

Eat less meat
Public transport
Turn off lights
renewable energy sources

Question 18

What does sulphur dioxide cause

Answer 18

Acid rain
Respiratory problems

Question 19

How is sulphur dioxide formed?

Answer 19

Sulphur in fuel reacts with oxygen in the air

Question 20

What does CO do?

Answer 20

Toxic gas - colourless and odourless

Question 21

What does soot(carbon particulates) do? x 2

Answer 21

Causes global dimming
health problems for humans

Question 22

How is nitrogen oxide formed?

Answer 22

Nitrogen + oxygen from the air react at high temperatures

Question 23

Give 2 things nitrogen oxides cause

Answer 23

Acid rain and respiratory problems

Question 24

How are nitrogen/sulphur oxides released

Answer 24

Burning fuels that contain sulphur and nitrogen

Question 25

What could acid rain lead to

Answer 25

Kill/erode vegetation

Question 26

why is evidence about the early atmosphere limited

Answer 26

time scale of 4.6 billion years

Question 27

at the start of the evolution of the atmosphere what was the earth’s atmosphere like - 1 billion years

Answer 27

mars or venus - mainly CO2 little to no oxygen

Question 28

when did algae first produce oxygen

Answer 28

2.7 billion years ago

Question 29

what 2 things produced the oxygen now in the atmosphere

Answer 29

algae and plants

Question 30

give 2 ways CO2 was decreased in atmosphere

Answer 30

algae and plants doing photosynthesis
formation of sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels that contain carbon

Question 31

how were crude oil and natural gas formed

Answer 31

algae died
buried under sediment
lack of oxygen so no oxidation
heat and pressure forms the oil and gas

Question 32

what is limestone formed from

Answer 32

shells and skeletons of marine organisms

Question 33

what is coal formed by

Answer 33

dead trees
buried with floods
prevented oxidation
pressure and heat turns it into coal

Question 34

give 3 examples of greenhouses gases

Answer 34

water vapour
carbon dioxide
methane

Question 35

how does greenhouse effect work

Answer 35

Question 36

why is climate change accepted

Answer 36

ot is based on peer reviewed evidence

Question 37

why is climate change sometimes not accepted

Answer 37

difficult to model such complex systems
leading to simplified models and speculations and opinions in media which may be based on only parts of the evidence and be biased

Question 38

increasing average global temp causes what

Answer 38

climate change