The Earth’s early atmosphere was different from that of the Earth’s atmosphere today - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 1 - 2016 - Paper 1
Question 1
The Earth’s early atmosphere was different from that of the Earth’s atmosphere today.
(a) The Earth’s early atmosphere was formed by
☐ A animals breathing.
☐ B glo... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The Earth’s early atmosphere was different from that of the Earth’s atmosphere today - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 1 - 2016 - Paper 1
Step 1
Identify the correct option for part (a)
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Answer
The Earth’s early atmosphere was formed by D volcanic activity. This option is correct as volcanic eruptions release gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water vapor, which were prevalent in the early atmosphere.
Step 2
Explain, using the data, the identity of gas X
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Answer
In the Earth’s early atmosphere, gas X constituted 95% of the composition. In today’s atmosphere, its concentration is only 0.04%, indicating a significant decrease over time. Given the high proportion in the early atmosphere, it is reasonable to deduce that gas X is carbon dioxide (CO₂) since it was abundant due to volcanic activity and has reduced significantly with the development of life and photosynthesis.