The carbon footprint

The proportions of most gases in the Earth’s atmosphere have not changed much for the past 200 million years.

About one-fifth of the atmosphere is oxygen.

Describe the test for oxygen gas.

Give the result of the test.

Table 5 shows the percentages of some gases in the Earth’s early atmosphere and in the Earth’s atmosphere today.

Explain how the percentages of gases have changed from Earth’s early atmosphere to Earth’s atmosphere today.

You should refer to all three gases in Table 5.

Methane is a greenhouse gas.

Give two ways to reduce methane emissions into the atmosphere.

The percentage of sulfur dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere increased between 1850 and 1980.

Describe how sulfur dioxide emissions are produced.

Give one harmful effect of sulfur dioxide emissions.

Suggest one reason why the percentage of sulfur dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere has decreased since 1980.

The proportions of most gases in the Earth’s atmosphere have not changed much for the past 200 million years.

About one-fifth of the atmosphere is oxygen.

Describe the test for oxygen gas.

Give the result of the test.

Table 1 shows the percentages of some gases in the Earth’s early atmosphere and in the Earth’s atmosphere today.

Explain how the percentages of gases have changed from Earth’s early atmosphere to Earth’s atmosphere today.

You should refer to all three gases in Table 1.

Methane is a greenhouse gas.

Give two ways to reduce methane emissions into the atmosphere.

The percentage of sulfur dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere increased between 1850 and 1980.

Describe how sulfur dioxide emissions are produced.

Give one harmful effect of sulfur dioxide emissions.

Suggest one reason why the percentage of sulfur dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere has decreased since 1980.

Atmospheric pollution is emitted by cars.

Some car emissions contain nitrogen dioxide.

Describe how nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is produced in the engine of a car that burns fossil fuels.

Table 3 shows the concentration of nitrogen dioxide in the air in three different areas for 1 week.

The mean value for nitrogen dioxide in the air for the whole week in the city centre

Calculate the value (X) for the concentration of nitrogen dioxide in the air in the city centre on Sunday.

Each value in Table 3 has an uncertainty of ± 2 micrograms per m³.

Explain why this uncertainty is most significant for countryside data.

Nitrogen dioxide is removed from car emissions by catalytic converters.

In a catalytic converter nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) reacts to produce nitrogen and oxygen.

Complete the equation for the reaction.

You should balance the equation.

The catalyst in a catalytic converter contains platinum.

Platinum is a finite resource.

What is meant by a ‘finite resource’?

Emissions from cars contain carbon dioxide.

Explain why carbon dioxide emissions during use and operation are not the total carbon footprint for a car.

Refer to the stages of the life cycle assessment of a car in your answer.

This question is about carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. Figure 2 shows how the percentage of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere has changed over 4.6 billion years.

What was the highest percentage of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere? Use Figure 2.

The percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has decreased since Earth’s early atmosphere. Which two processes have decreased the percentage of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere? Tick (✓) two boxes.

The total amount of carbon dioxide emitted over the life cycle of a product can be measured. What name is given to the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the life cycle of a product? Tick (✓) one box.

Carbon dioxide dissolves in water. Figure 3 shows the mass of carbon dioxide dissolved in water at different temperatures.

Complete Table 1. Use Figure 3.

Calculate the difference in the mass of carbon dioxide dissolved in 1 dm³ of water at 5 °C and at 15 °C Use Table 1.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. The greenhouse effect happens in four stages. The four stages are: Stage A Carbon dioxide stops longer wavelength radiation escaping Stage B Radiation is absorbed by the Earth Stage C Longer wavelength radiation is emitted Stage D Shorter wavelength radiation enters the atmosphere. What is the correct order of stages A, B, C and D ? Tick (✓) one box.

Changes in the percentage of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere cause climate change. Give two effects of climate change.

This question is about atmospheric pollutants from fuels.

Fuel burns in a car engine.

Describe how oxides of nitrogen are produced in a car engine.

Table 3 shows the carbon footprint during the manufacture and use of three cars.

Evaluate the carbon footprint of the cars.

Use information from Table 3.

This question is about the Earth’s atmosphere.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas.

What is another greenhouse gas?

Tick one box.

Greenhouse gases cause global climate change.

Give two effects of global climate change.

4.1 kg of a plastic, used to make plastic bottles, has a carbon footprint of 6.0 kg of carbon dioxide.

Calculate the carbon footprint of one plastic bottle of mass 23.5 g

Give one way that carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced when a plastic bottle is manufactured.

Explain how the percentages of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere today have changed from the Earth’s early atmosphere.

This question is about the Earth’s atmosphere.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. What is another greenhouse gas?

Tick one box.

Greenhouse gases cause global climate change. Give two effects of global climate change.

4.1 kg of a plastic, used to make plastic bottles, has a carbon footprint of 6.0 kg of carbon dioxide. Calculate the carbon footprint of one plastic bottle of mass 23.5 g

Give one way that carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced when a plastic bottle is manufactured.

Explain how the percentages of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere today have changed from the Earth’s early atmosphere.