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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. In the early atmosphere, carbon dioxide was abundant, while oxygen levels were very low, due to limited photosynthesis.
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 relationship between carbon dioxide levels and global temperatures from 1960 to 2000.
- Figure 1 shows a steady increase in carbon dioxide concentration, rising from approximately 310 ppm in 1960 to nearly 370 ppm in 2000.
- Figure 2 displays a corresponding increase in mean global temperature, which rose from around 14.0 °C to approximately 14.8 °C over the same period.
This correlation suggests that increased carbon dioxide concentrations are linked to rising global temperatures. However, it is important to note that while these graphs demonstrate a relationship, they do not prove causation on their own. Other factors may also contribute to temperature changes, but the trends seen in the graphs align with scientific understanding of greenhouse gas effects.