Greenhouse gases and climate change

Crude oil is a source of hydrocarbons.

Which chemical is a hydrocarbon?

Tick (✓) one box.

Complete the sentences about crude oil.

Use words from the list.

cracking filtration fractional distillation neutralisation reduction

The hydrocarbons in crude oil are separated by........

Some of these hydrocarbons are made more useful by........

The table shows the description of three resources A, B and C.

Which resource is crude oil?

Explain your choice using information from the table.

Crude oil is resource........

Reason........

Scientists think that increased levels of carbon dioxide are causing global warming.

Which statements about the potential effects of global warming are true and which are false ?

Tick (✓) one box in each row.

The Earth’s early atmosphere may have been mainly carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapour.

The pie chart shows the relative amounts of each gas in the Earth’s early atmosphere.

Calculate the percentage of nitrogen in the Earth’s early atmosphere.

Some of the gases in the Earth’s atmosphere today are called greenhouse gases.

What effect do greenhouse gases have in the Earth’s atmosphere?

Tick (✓) one box.

Which of these gases is a greenhouse gas?

Tick (✓) one box.

Alkanes are an important group of hydrocarbons. They are used as fuels as they release large amounts of energy as they burn.

The table shows how the energy released for different alkanes changes with the number of carbon atoms in a molecule.

Plot the data from the table on the graph.

Include a scale for the y axis.

Number of carbon atoms in a molecule

Draw a line of best fit.

Use your graph to estimate the energy released when propane burns.

Energy released when propane burns =........ kJ / mol

When methane, CH₄, burns it can produce carbon monoxide, CO, or carbon dioxide, CO₂.

State two problems caused by the products of burning methane.

Suggest why methane sometimes produces carbon monoxide, CO, instead of carbon dioxide, CO₂.

Greenhouse gases, such as methane, keep the Earth and its atmosphere warm. This is called the greenhouse effect.

Fig. 16.1 shows the greenhouse effect.

Fig. 16.1

........

Fig. 16.2 shows how the Earth’s temperature has changed since 1880 (compared to the average temperature from 1951–1980).

Fig. 16.2

The level of methane in the air has been steadily increasing since 1880.

Describe how Fig. 16.2 supports the idea that increased levels of methane contribute to global warming.

Include an argument that opposes this idea.

What is an effect of increased levels of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere?

A Acid rain

B Global warming

C Light pollution

D Smog

The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere has changed over time.

What is the percentage of carbon dioxide found in the Earth’s atmosphere today?

Tick one (✓) box.

Describe the correlation between carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and carbon dioxide emissions.

Give one reason for the change in carbon dioxide emissions after 1960.

It is thought that an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is causing global warming.

Describe how an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is causing global warming.

Describe one way that the emissions of carbon dioxide by human activity can be reduced.

Which process traps heat from the Sun in the Earth’s atmosphere?

A Combustion

B Displacement

C Greenhouse effect

D Photosynthesis

14* Cars can burn petrol or diesel as a fuel. The composition of the exhaust fumes depends on the type of fuel used.

The table shows the percentages of some substances found in the exhaust fumes of petrol and diesel cars.

Describe one advantage and one disadvantage of using petrol as a fuel. Use information from the table.

Explain your answer using your knowledge of the environmental problems caused by these substances.

The Earth’s early atmosphere was mainly water vapour and carbon dioxide.

The Earth’s atmosphere today is mainly nitrogen and oxygen with small amounts of other gases including carbon dioxide.

Complete the bar chart to show the percentage of nitrogen and oxygen found in the Earth’s

atmosphere today.

Explain how the amounts of water vapour and carbon dioxide in the Earth’s early atmosphere decreased over time.

Water vapour........

Carbon dioxide........

Explain how the amount of oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere has increased over time.

The Earth’s early atmosphere may have trapped more of the sun’s heat than Earth’s atmosphere traps today.

Give a reason why.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere is 409.8 parts per million.

1 part per million is equal to 0.0001%

Calculate the percentage of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere today.

Give your answer to 3 decimal places.

Copper can be extracted from its compounds by different processes.

Process 1

• Copper is extracted from copper oxide, CuO.

• The copper is extracted by heating copper oxide with carbon.

This is the equation for the reaction in Process 1.

2CuO(s) + C(s) → 2Cu(s) + CO₂(g)

Explain why carbon can be used to extract copper from copper oxide.

One of the products of this reaction causes an environmental problem.

Identify the product and describe its impact on the environment.

Process 2

• Copper is extracted from copper sulfide, CuS.

• Solid copper sulfide is broken down by bacteria to form a solution of copper sulfate, CuSO₄.

• The copper is extracted from the solution of copper sulfate by either reacting it with iron or by electrolysis.

Why is process 2 described as a biological method of metal extraction?

Describe two advantages of extracting copper from the solution of copper sulfate by reacting it with iron rather than using electrolysis.

Ores are rocks that contain metals or their compounds.

The table shows some information about high-grade and low-grade ores.

Explain the difference in the mass of metal contained in a high-grade and low-grade ore.

Use information from the table.

In the UK, one person produces about 9.5 × 10³ kg of carbon dioxide per year. 10

One tree can take in 15 kg of carbon dioxide per year.

Approximately how many of these trees are needed to reduce one person’s yearly carbon dioxide output to zero?

A 15

B 650

C 1600

D 140 000

In the UK, one person produces about 9.5 × 10³ kg of carbon dioxide per year.

One tree can take in 15 kg of carbon dioxide per year.

Approximately how many of these trees are needed to reduce one person’s yearly carbon dioxide output to zero?

A 15

B 650

C 1600

D 140 000

Many scientists believe that increased levels of methane in the atmosphere are contributing to global warming.

What causes increased levels of methane in the atmosphere?

A Cutting down trees

B Exhaust gases from car engines

C Incomplete combustion of fossil fuels

D Waste gases from cows and landfill sites

The diagram shows the percentage of greenhouse gases made from different sources.

The percentage of greenhouse gases produced from Residential is twice that produced from Agriculture.

What is the percentage of greenhouse gases produced from Residential?

A 9%

B 18%

C 27%

D 36%

The diagram shows the percentage of greenhouse gases made from different sources.

The percentage of greenhouse gases produced from Residential is twice that produced from Agriculture.

What is the percentage of greenhouse gases produced from Residential?

A 9%

B 18%

C 27%

D 36%

This question is about the Earth’s atmosphere and the greenhouse effect.

Scientists think that without the greenhouse effect the average temperature of the Earth’s surface would be about −18 °C.

Explain how the greenhouse effect keeps the average temperature above −18 °C.

Many scientists think that human activity is enhancing the greenhouse effect and leading to global warming.

Explain this statement.

Student A thinks that the increased use of electric cars would help reduce the greenhouse effect.

Student B thinks that the increased use of electric cars would not help reduce the greenhouse effect.

Explain why each student may be correct.

The waste gases from vehicle engines contain oxides of nitrogen.

Explain how the oxides of nitrogen are formed in an engine.

Most vehicles are fitted with catalytic converters. They reduce the amount of the oxides of nitrogen released into the atmosphere.

Describe why this is important.

Which process leads to the greenhouse effect?

A Radiation absorbed by carbon dioxide

B Radiation causing plants to grow

C Radiation causing pollution

D Radiation damaging the ozone layer

Look at the graphs.

Graph 1 shows how the Earth’s temperature has changed between 1880 and 2010.

Graph 2 shows how the amount of carbon dioxide in the air has changed between 1880 and 2010.

In graph 1, how much has the Earth’s temperature increased between 1880 and 2000?

In graph 2, what is the difference between the amount of carbon dioxide in the air between 1880 and 2000?

Answer =........ parts per million

Some scientists believe that graph 1 and graph 2 show that increased levels of carbon dioxide have increased the Earth’s temperature.

Other scientists believe that it is just a natural cycle of change.

Quote data from the graphs which support both of these arguments.

Evidence to support increased temperature of Earth........

Evidence to support a natural cycle........

Look at the diagram.

It shows four processes (1 – 4) which happen in the Earth’s atmosphere and on its surface.

........

........

........

........

Look at the graphs.

Graph 1 shows how the Earth’s temperature has changed between 1880 and 2010.

Graph 2 shows how the amount of carbon dioxide in the air has changed between 1750 and 2010.

Some scientists believe that graph 1 and graph 2 show that increased levels of carbon dioxide have increased the Earth’s temperature.

Other scientists believe that it is just a natural cycle of change.

Quote data from the graph which supports both of these arguments.

Evidence to support increased temperature of Earth........

Evidence to support a natural cycle........