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The amounts of some gases in the Earth's early atmosphere are shown on the bar chart - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 2 - 2012 - Paper 1
Question 2
The amounts of some gases in the Earth's early atmosphere are shown on the bar chart. (a) Complete the sentence by putting a cross (☒) in the box next to your answe... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The amounts of some gases in the Earth's early atmosphere are shown on the bar chart - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 2 - 2012 - Paper 1
Step 1
Step 2
Explain how the amount of water in the Earth's atmosphere decreased.
Answer
The amount of water in the Earth's atmosphere decreased primarily due to condensation and precipitation. As the Earth cooled, water vapour in the atmosphere began to condense into liquid water, leading to the formation of oceans. Additionally, any water that formed from volcanic activity would have contributed to this reduction as it eventually fell as rain.
Step 3
Explain why burning methane changes the amounts of gases in the atmosphere.
Answer
Burning methane reacts it with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water, which directly alters the composition of gases in the atmosphere. This reaction increases the levels of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, while reducing methane levels, which is a more potent greenhouse gas.
Step 4
State two other activities that affect the amounts of gases in the atmosphere.
Answer
- Farming practices, such as livestock raising, release methane into the atmosphere.
- Deforestation or cutting down trees reduces the number of plants available to absorb carbon dioxide, thus increasing its concentration in the atmosphere.