Composition & Evolution of the Earth’s Atmosphere

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  Describe what happened to the carbon dioxide in the Earth’s early atmosphere.

  used by plants

  used for photosynthesis

  dissolves in oceans
• Describe how volcanoes caused the oceans to be formed.

  water vapour given out from volcano and condenses
• What problem is caused by the formation of large amounts of carbon dioxide?

  greenhouse effect
• Elements in Earths atmosphere

  
• What happened to most of the carbon dioxide that was in the Earth’s early atmosphere?

  Used by plants and photosynthesis
• Explain how carbon dioxide is released from limestone.

  Calcium carbonate which is decomposed
• Use this information and your knowledge and understanding to explain how continents move.

  Plates move

  Heat energy causes convection currents in mantle

   
• The burning of fossil fuels has caused the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to increase to above 0.03 %. Explain why

  increase in burning locked up carbon
• Why should we be concerned about our carbon footprint?

  Global warming
• Suggest why burning wood instead of coal would help to reduce our carbon footprint.

  Replant trees

  Carbon dioxide used by trees

  Continuous carbon cycle
• Give two reasons why the percentage of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s early atmosphere decreased.

  Used by plants

  Changed into oxygen
• Describe how the evolution of plants changed the Earth’s atmosphere.

  Carbon dioxide used for photosynthesis
• Describe what causes the Earth’s tectonic plates to move.

  In the mantle

  Convection currents release heat
• How does the limestone used in a power station release carbon dioxide

  Thermal decomposition
• How does the limestone used in a power station removes sulfur dioxide

  Calcium carbonate
• Explain how carbon monoxide would be formed.

  Incomplete combustion because of insufficient oxygen
• Explain how propene molecules form a polymer. You should name the polymer formed.

  Polypropene

  Double bonds open up so the molecules undergo addition and form long chains
• Describe the natural processes which remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

  Plants take in CO2 which is converted to glucose

  Co2 is locked up in fossil fuels
• The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased over the last one hundred years. Suggest two reasons why this has happened.

  Burning fossil fuels

  Deforestation
• Explain how the seas and oceans can decrease the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

  Carbon dioxide dissolves in sea water

  Insoluble carbonates are formed so carbon dioxide turns into shells