Topic 1&2 - The Earth: Today's Atmosphere

Question 1

How does deforestation affect the composition of the atmosphere?

Answer 1

Trees take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for photosynthesis. Chopping them down means that more carbon dioxide is left in the atmosphere.

Question 2

How does livestock farming affect the composition of the atmosphere?

Answer 2

Animals produce methane when they pass wind, so livestock farming releases huge amounts of methane into the atmosphere.

Question 3

Describe an experiment you could do to investigate the proportion of oxygen in the atmosphere.

Answer 3

E.g. heat an excess of copper in a tube, and pass air over it using two syringes. Use the markers on the syringes to work out how much oxygen has been used up. The proportion of air that has gone is equivalent to the proportion of oxygen in the air.

Question 4

How is the burning of fossil fuels causing changes in the atmosphere?

Answer 4

E.g. burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, so more carbon dioxide is being added to the atmosphere.