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This question is about changes to the Earth's atmosphere - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 1 - 2016 - Paper 1
Question 1
This question is about changes to the Earth's atmosphere. (a) Which of the following is a correct statement about the relative amounts of carbon dioxide and oxygen ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:This question is about changes to the Earth's atmosphere - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 1 - 2016 - Paper 1
Step 1
Which of the following is a correct statement about the relative amounts of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the Earth’s early atmosphere?
Answer
The correct answer is B: large amount of carbon dioxide and small amount of oxygen. Early Earth had a high concentration of carbon dioxide, supporting the theory that it was a reduced atmosphere, whereas oxygen was scarce.
Step 2
Explain whether these graphs provide evidence that an increase in carbon dioxide is causing the Earth’s temperature to rise.
Answer
The graphs indicate a positive correlation between the increase in carbon dioxide concentration and the rise in mean global temperature over the period from 1960 to 2000. As illustrated in Figure 1, the concentration of carbon dioxide increased from approximately 310 ppm in 1960 to nearly 370 ppm by 2000. Correspondingly, Figure 2 shows that the mean global temperature rose from around 14.0 °C to over 14.8 °C in the same time frame.
This data suggests a potential link between the rising levels of carbon dioxide and the increase in temperature, as higher concentrations of greenhouse gases are known to trap more heat in the atmosphere, leading to global warming. However, while the graphs show a correlation, it is important to note that correlation does not imply causation; further scientific investigation would be necessary to establish direct causation.