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Atmosphere Flashcards

1
Q

Atmosphere of earth today

A

78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
1% other gases

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2
Q

What makes up the 1% of other gases in the atmosphere?

A

Water vapour
Carbon dioxide
Noble gases

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3
Q

How long has the atmosphere of today been around?

A

Around 200 million years

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4
Q

What happened during the first billion years on earth?

A

Intense volcanic eruptions
That released the gases that form the atmosphere

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5
Q

What gases were released by volcanoes in the first years of the atmosphere?

A

Water vapour
Carbon dioxide
Nitrogen
Small amounts of Methane and Ammonia

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6
Q

What happened as the earth cooled?

A

The water vapour released by the volcanoes condensed (became liquid)
And formed oceans

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7
Q

what was the early stage of earths atmosphere like?

A

Mainly Carbon dioxide
Small amounts of nitrogen
No oxygen

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8
Q

Early atmosphere vs today

A

Early atmosphere = large amounts of CO2
Todays atmosphere = small amount

Early atmosphere = very little/no oxygen
Today = 21% is oxygen

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9
Q

How did the level of CO2 in the atmosphere change?

A

CO2 formed seabed
CO2 formed corals and shells for organisms
Plants evolved and so took in CO2
Thus removed CO2 from the atmosphere

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10
Q

How were seabeds formed?

A

Some CO2 dissolved in oceans form a weak acid
Which reacted with minerals to form PRECIPITATES
Which over time formed sediments of carbon rock on the sea bed

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11
Q

How were corals and limestone formed?

A

CO2 dissolved in sea
Made corals and shells of organisms such as mussels
When the organisms died they formed rock limestone

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12
Q

How did oxygen enter the atmosphere?

A

Algae evolved in the oceans that photosynthesised
Plants also evolved photosynthesising more

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13
Q

Fossil fuels

A

Formed from remains of dead animals and plants over millions of years

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14
Q

Examples of fossil fuels

A

Coal, oil and gas

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15
Q

What is coal made of?

A

Formed from ferns and trees

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16
Q

What is crude oil made of?

A

Formed from plankton
When they die if no oxygen present to break them up
They don’t decompose and are compressed by sediment
High heat and pressure = oil

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17
Q

What is gas made of?

A

Hydrocarbon methane
Formed near oil because it’s formed in a similar way

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18
Q

Summary of how carbon dioxide left the atmosphere

A

Dissolved in water to form sea beds and organism shells
After plants evolved:
Got taken in by algae and plants during photosynthesis
Trapped as fossil fuels when these carbon based organisms died but didn’t decompose

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19
Q

Summary of how oxygen entered the atmosphere

A

Algae evolved and photosynthesised oxygen which eventually evolved other plants which did the same thing

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20
Q

How is coal formed?

A

If the ferns and trees die in marshy wetlands they don’t decompose
Because there is no oxygen for the decomposers (bacteria) to respire
Or too acidic
So they are covered in sediment then compressed due to high temp and pressure

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21
Q

How is crude oil formed?

A

When plankton dies they settle on mud on sea bed
No oxygen = no decomposition
So they are compressed by sediment
Causing a high temperature and pressure to convert to crude oil

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22
Q

How is natural gas formed?

A

Same way as crude oil
By compressing non decomposed plankton

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23
Q

What do fossil fuels contain?

A

Trapped carbon taken in as carbon dioxide during photosynthesis
By the plankton and ferns it used to be

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24
Q

How much carbon dioxide does the atmosphere today contain?

25
Greenhouse gas examples
Water vapour Carbon dioxide Methane
26
What is the greenhouse effect?
The process that keeps the temperature on Earth warm enough to sustain life Caused by greenhouse gases However due to human intervention it can have bad consequences
27
Summary of the greenhouse effect
Short wavelength radiation leaves the sun like ultraviolet light Some reflected back into space by the atmosphere Some penetrates through the atmosphere and absorbed by Earth surface Earth RADIATES long wavelength radiation (infrared) This energy from the wave is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere Causing temperature to rise
28
Why does some short wavelength radiation get reflected back into space by the atmosphere?
Because the short wavelength radiation doesn’t interact strongly with the gases in the atoms
29
Why is carbon dioxide levels increasing in the atmosphere?
Burning fossil fuels that contain trapped carbon Coal for electricity Petrol and diesel to power cars Gas for home heating Should be taken in by plants for photosynthesis but these rainforests are being destroyed by deforestation Which only releases more co2
30
Why are levels of methane increasing in the atmosphere?
Released in agriculture: Growing rice in flooded paddy field When cattle and cows pass wind
31
What do levels of water vapour in the at,o sphere depend on?
The temperature and humidity
32
So how does human intervention speed up climate change?
Burning more fossil fuels/ certain types of increased agriculture Release more greenhouse gases which absorb more energy from long wavelength radiation Thus the atmosphere and earth’s surface temperature increase
33
Effects of global warming
Rising temperatures will: Melting polar ice sheets and glaciers = rising sea levels = increased flooding of low lying areas Severe weather changes such as storms Changes distribution of animals and insects Change distribution of insect borne diseases (malaria)
34
Peer review
When evidence and research for ideas is shared between scientists who can criticise and decide whether it’s valid or not
35
What is a problem with our understanding of climate change?
It’s complex and difficult to model So information in media might be simplified or biased Or speculation based on specific parts of evidence
36
Carbon footprint
Total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product, service or event So gives us an idea of how much something contributes to climate change
37
Ways to reduce burning of fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide
Using home insulation or turning down the heating Use public transport rather than using cars (less co2 per passenger) Switch to renewable sources of electricity like wind power rather than fossil fuels Turn lights off when not needing it/energy saving lightbulbs
38
Problems of solutions for using less fossil fuels
Expensive and people are reluctant to pay Inconvenient in some cases eg using personal transport has more freedom
39
Ways to reduce emissions of methane
People eat less beef/dairy products to reduce demand for cattle agriculture which is the main producer of methane Trapping methane produced in landfills and burning it for electricity
40
Why is the solution for people to buy less dairy/beef not a good idea?
People like those and not likely to switch their diets
41
Why is the solution to trap and burn methane a good idea?
It’s a much more powerful gas than carbon dioxide
42
Why is the solution to trap and burn methane a bad idea?
It’s expensive
43
Fuel
Releases energy when they are combusted (burned) Eg fossil fuels which are all hydrocarbons
44
When is coal used mainly?
Burn pt to generate electricity in power stations
45
When are hydrocarbons used?
Present inside petrol and diesel Burnt for fuel to power cars
46
What happens when hydrocarbons/fossil fuels are burnt?
Releases carbon and hydrogen Reacts with oxygen and oxidised To form water vapour and either carbon dioxide or monoxide
47
Word equation for complete combustion of methane
Methane + oxygen ——> carbon dioxide + water
48
What happens if the amount of oxygen in complete combustion is reduced?
Incomplete combustion which releases carbon monoxide
49
Carbon monoxide symbol
CO
50
Word equation for incomplete combustion of methane
Methane + oxygen ——> carbon monoxide + water
51
Problem with carbon monoxide
Toxic gas No colour or smell So you have to have carbon monoxide detectors
52
How is sulfur dioxide produced?
Coal contains sulfur When burnt sulfur atoms react with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide
53
How are oxides of nitrogen produced?
Inside engines ie in cars Where high temperatures cause nitrogen and oxygen from the air to react Causing a range of different molecules called NOx (oxides of nitrogen)
54
Oxides of nitrogen equation
N2 + O2 ——> NOx
55
Problem with sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen
Breathing problems for humans Dissolve in water = acid rain
56
Effects of acid rain
Damages trees Damages buildings made of limestone
57
What causes particulates pollution?
Particles of carbon as soot Unburnt hydrocarbons
58
Effects of particulates
Damage human health: increase risk of heart and lung disease Reduce amount of light energy that reach the Earth surface as they absorb the energy = global dimming
59
Global dimming
When particulates in the air absorb light energy from the sun causing the earth to darken Can also effect rainfall patterns

Chemistry (46 decks)

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