Chemistry of atmosphere Flashcards
1
Q
How long ago did the atmosphere form
A
4.6 billion years ago
2
Q
explain the volcano theory on how the atmosphere formed
A
- Intense volcanic activity released the gases that form the atmosphere
- similar to Mars and Venus
3
Q
how would the sea have formed
A
- Water vapour in the Earths atmosphere cools and condenses to form the oceans
4
Q
what is the % Nitrogen in the atmosphere
A
78%
5
Q
what is the % of oxygen in the atmosphere
A
21%
6
Q
what is the % of other gases including argon in the atmosphere
A
1%
7
Q
How did levels of oxygen increase in the early atmosphere
A
- algae produced oxygen – due to photosynthesis
- then population of algae slowly increased, producing more algae
8
Q
when did algae first produce oxygen
A
2.7 billion years ago
9
Q
How did levels of carbon dioxide decrease in the early atmosphere
A
- when the oceans formed, carbon dioxide dissolved in the water
- plants in the oceans (algae) also absorbed carbon dioxide for phtotsynthesis
10
Q
what happened wen carbon dioxide dissolved in the sea
A
- this produced carbon compounds
- reducing the amount of Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
- Carbon compounds were then precipitated
- an example of this would be limestone
11
Q
How is crude oil formed
A
- Aquatic plants and animals die
- fall to bottom of sea, trapped under sand and mud
- overtime they’re buried deeper
- due to rising heats and pressure the lower they go
- they are turned into crude oil or natural gas
12
Q
How is coal formed
A
- from giant plants that lived in swamps
- they die and sink beneath mud,water and soil
- over time, increased pressure and temps force the remains to undergo chemical and physical changes
- oxygen is pushed out and all that remains is coal
13
Q
what has caused an increase in methane
A
- farming cattle
- farming rice
14
Q
what causes an increase in carbon dioxide
A
- burning fossil fuels
- deforestation
15
Q
what are the main greenhouse gases
A
- Carbon dioxide
- water vapour
- methane