51# Question Answer

What is the percentage of nitrogen,

Nitrogen 80%, Oxygen 20%, Other gases (carbon
1 oxygen and other gases in the
dioxide, argon, water vapour) less than 1%
atmosphere?

What is the most abundant gas in the

1 Nitrogen
atmosphere?

Carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour

1 What are the 3 greenhouse gases?

How does methane get into the

Decomposition of waste, farming cattle – digestive
1 atmosphere?
process

Greenhouse gases absorb long wavelength infrared

1 What is the greenhouse effect? radiation that is reflected from Earth and remit it in all
directions including back to Earth

Greenhouse gases don’t absorb short wavelength

1 Why do we still feel heat from the sun?
infrared radiation coming from the sun

What was the most abundant gas in the

2 Carbon dioxide
early atmosphere?

What lead to the formation of the early

2 Volcanic eruptions
atmosphere?

Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water vapour, methane (small

2 What gases are released by volcanoes?
amounts), ammonia (small amounts)

Plants/algae evolved which did photosynthesis

2 Why did the % of oxygen increase?
producing oxygen

Give the word equation for

2 Water + carbon dioxide  oxygen + glucose
photosynthesis

It was removed by plants during photosynthesis

Give 2 reasons why the % of carbon
2 It dissolved into the oceans which formed sediments
dioxide decreased
leading to sedimentary rocks, shells and fossil fuels

2 What are the 3 fossil fuels? Coal, oil and natural gas (methane)

Levels of nitrogen increased slowly as it is unreactive

2 Why is the % of nitrogen so high?
so does not get used up by many organisms

Why can scientists not be sure about the

2 There is limited evidence
composition of the early atmosphere?

What evidence is there that oxygen

2 Iron oxide can be found in rocks
formed around 2.7 billion years ago?

Give 2 ways human activities have

Agriculture, deforestation, burning fossil fuels,
3 increased the amount of greenhouse gases