Chemistry of the AtmosphereAQA GCSE Chemistry: Topic test

20 questions, 54 marks

AQA GCSE Chemistry

Chemistry of the Atmosphere topic test

Total 54 marks

Name

Class

Date

1
A geologist studying ancient rock cores drilled from a Precambrian basin has found bands of iron oxide deposited in layers between 2.5 and 1.8 billion years old. She is using this evidence, alongside other clues, to work out how the composition of Earth's early atmosphere changed over time.
(a)
The geologist explains that most scientists agree the Earth's very early atmosphere, before oceans formed, was released mostly by intense volcanic activity. Which gas made up the largest proportion of this early atmosphere?
[1 mark]
ACarbon dioxide
BOxygen
CNitrogen
DMethane
(b)
The banded iron formations she is studying formed as dissolved iron in the early oceans reacted with a gas that had recently begun to build up in the atmosphere and oceans. Which gas caused this?
[1 mark]
ACarbon dioxide
BOxygen
CNitrogen
DMethane
(c)
Explain how the appearance of algae in the oceans led to the iron oxide bands the geologist is studying, referring to a named process and a word/chemical equation.
[2 marks]
Total for question 1: 4 marks
2
An agricultural extension officer is advising rice farmers on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from flooded paddy fields, where anaerobic bacteria living in the waterlogged soil release gas as they break down organic matter.
(a)
Which greenhouse gas is mainly released by the anaerobic bacteria living in the flooded paddy field soil?
[1 mark]
ACarbon dioxide
BOxygen
CMethane
DNitrogen
(b)
The officer explains that greenhouse gases keep the Earth warm enough to support life. Which best describes how greenhouse gases produce this warming effect?
[1 mark]
AThey reflect all radiation from the Sun straight back into space
BThey absorb short-wavelength radiation from the Sun and re-emit it as short-wavelength radiation
CThey block short-wavelength radiation from the Sun from reaching the Earth's surface at all
DThey absorb long-wavelength radiation emitted from the Earth's surface and re-emit some of it back towards the surface
(c)
Other than methane from rice paddies, state two other human activities that increase the amount of methane or carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
[2 marks]
Total for question 2: 4 marks
3
A haulage company is comparing its existing diesel lorries with a new fleet of electric lorries. Diesel fuel is a hydrocarbon that also contains a small amount of sulfur, and is burned in the lorry engines.
(a)
Identify three pollutants (other than carbon dioxide and water vapour) produced when the diesel fuel is burned in the lorry engines, and state one problem caused by each.
[3 marks]
(b)
Explain why switching the fleet to electric lorries would reduce the release of sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, and explain why carbon monoxide is a particularly dangerous pollutant compared with carbon dioxide.
[4 marks]
Total for question 3: 7 marks
4
An independent scientific advisory panel is reviewing evidence for a regional government considering a new road-charging scheme aimed at cutting both greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants from vehicle traffic in a congested city.
(a)
Discuss how the panel should evaluate the quality of evidence in reports about climate change linked to vehicle emissions, and describe two potential effects of global climate change that the panel might cite as justification for the scheme.
[6 marks]
(b)
The panel recommends that road-charging revenue be used to fund actions that reduce both the city's carbon footprint and its other atmospheric pollution from traffic. Evaluate two such actions, explaining how each reduces greenhouse gas emissions or other pollutants, and give one reason why the actions on their own might have a limited effect.
[6 marks]
Total for question 4: 12 marks
5
An environmental scientist analysing ice cores from Antarctica has found trapped air bubbles that record atmospheric gas concentrations going back hundreds of thousands of years, and wants to explain how today's atmosphere differs from Earth's earliest atmosphere billions of years ago.
(a)
Which of these is closest to the percentage of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere today?
[1 mark]
A20%
B80%
C4%
D0.04%
(b)
The scientist explains that the Earth's very early atmosphere, billions of years ago, is thought to have contained almost none of one particular gas that makes up about a fifth of today's atmosphere. Which gas is this?
[1 mark]
ANitrogen
BOxygen
CCarbon dioxide
DWater vapour
(c)
Explain how the formation of the oceans contributed to the fall in carbon dioxide levels shown by the ice core evidence, in addition to the effect of photosynthesis.
[2 marks]
Total for question 5: 4 marks
6
A local council's environmental officer is investigating a large increase in methane detected at a landfill site where household waste has been decomposing for many years, and is also reviewing a scientific report linking rising global temperatures to increased greenhouse gas emissions.
(a)
Which type of bacteria living within the landfill waste is responsible for producing methane as the waste decomposes?
[1 mark]
ABacteria that need oxygen (aerobic)
BBacteria that only survive in extreme heat
CBacteria that work without oxygen (anaerobic)
DBacteria that photosynthesise
(b)
The officer reads that some newspaper reports about the global temperature data are contradictory. What is the best reason to trust a scientific report on climate change over an uncorroborated newspaper claim?
[1 mark]
AThe scientific report is longer
BThe scientific report was published more recently
CThe scientific report uses more technical language
DThe scientific report has been peer reviewed by other scientists
(c)
State two potential effects of the global climate change linked to rising greenhouse gas emissions that the officer might include in her report.
[2 marks]
Total for question 6: 4 marks
7
A hospital's respiratory medicine team is investigating why patients living close to a large coal-fired power station report more breathing problems than patients living further away. The power station burns coal, which contains carbon, hydrogen and a small amount of sulfur.
(a)
Identify three pollutants that could be released when the coal is burned at the power station, and state a problem caused by each that could explain the patients' breathing problems or other harm.
[3 marks]
(b)
The power station operator claims that burning coal in more oxygen would remove the risk to patients entirely. Evaluate this claim, explaining what happens to carbon monoxide production with more oxygen, and explain why increasing oxygen supply would not solve every pollution problem caused by burning coal.
[4 marks]
Total for question 7: 7 marks
8
An international shipping conference is reviewing new rules that require ships to burn cleaner fuel in order to cut both their contribution to climate change and the air pollution they cause in port cities, and has asked a panel of scientists to summarise the evidence and evaluate proposed actions.
(a)
Explain why the scientists advising the conference need to carefully evaluate the quality of climate change evidence before recommending new rules, and describe two effects of climate change that justify taking action on ship emissions.
[6 marks]
(b)
Evaluate the proposal to require ships to burn cleaner fuel with a lower sulfur content, explaining which specific pollutants would be reduced and why, and discuss why this alone would not remove ships' full carbon footprint.
[6 marks]
Total for question 8: 12 marks

End of questions