This work is to be completed week commencing 4th May and 11th May

2020 (2 week's work)

 
Kerboodle Textbook pages 198-203
 
The greenhouse effect
 
The greenhouse effect is a natural effect that takes place because greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere absorbs energy that would otherwise be reflected from the Earth.
 

 
Short wavelength infrared energy from the sun heats the surface of the Earth, which then
radiates long wavelength energy back out into space. Some of this outgoing radiation is
trapped in the atmosphere by the greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane,
nitrous oxides and CFCs).
 
This trapped radiation warms the lower part of the Earth’s atmosphere – the troposphere.
This warmed air radiates energy again, mostly in the infrared, in all directions. Some of the
radiation works its way up and out of the atmosphere, but some finds its way back down to the
Earth’s surface, keeping it warm – this is the greenhouse effect.
 
Without the greenhouse effect, the Earth would be too cold to
sustain life. However, the concentration of greenhouse gases has
recently been increasing due to: the burning of fossil fuels e.g. coal
and oil; exhaust fumes from cars; the cutting down of forests;
methane emissions from rice paddies and livestock!
 
1. How is energy transferred from the Sun to the Earth?
Short wavelength infrared energy heats the surface of the earth by travelling in waves to the surface.
 
2. How is the radiation that comes to the Earth different to the radiation that leaves
the Earth?
The radiation coming to the earth is short wavelength; the energy leaving the earth is long wavelength.
 
3. Not all the energy from the Sun reaches the Earth, some of it is reflected by the
atmosphere. If 250J of energy from the Sun hits the atmosphere at a certain place, but only
128J makes it to the surface of the Earth, how much energy is reflected by the atmosphere?
122J

 
4. Justify your answer.
Because if the 250J of energy hits the atmosphere and only 128J goes through to the surface, the rest
must have reflected.

 
5. Venus has an extremely thick atmosphere made up mostly of carbon dioxide. Explain
why this is part of the reason that Venus has a surface temperature above 400°C.
Because if the atmosphere is mostly made up from greenhouse gases, then a lot more of the energy
from the sun gets trapped in the Venus atmosphere warming the surface up.

 
6. Write a paragraph to explain how greenhouse gases cause the Earth to warm up 

when the suns energy hits the earth, some of it stays on the surface and some of it reflects off. When the
energy reflects off the surface, it goes back up into the atmosphere. In the atmosphere, there are
greenhouse gases, they trap some of the energy that is reflected off the earth’s surface and this helps to
warm the earth up.

 
7. Explain why greenhouse gases can increase the temperature of the Earth
 Greenhouse gases can increase the temperature of the earth if there are more greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. Because the more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the more energy trapped in the
atmosphere, this energy is warm.

Combustion of fuels
 
Many fuels - such as methane (CH4) - are hydrocarbons, meaning they consist of hydrogen and
carbon only. When a hydrocarbon is burnt completely in oxygen, it forms carbon dioxide and
water:
 
Methane + Oxygen --> Carbon dioxide + Water
 
However, if there is not enough oxygen, 2 types of incomplete combustion can take place
instead:
 
 Methane + Oxygen --> Carbon monoxide + Water
Methane + Oxygen --> Carbon + Water
 
 
1. Write balanced symbol equations for the reactions above

 
2. Bunsen burners use methane as a fuel. Carbon is a black solid. Explain why, if a
beaker is heated with the air hole closed, the bottom of the beaker turns black.

 
It is important to note that the amount of carbon dioxide over the last 3 billion years has
decreased from being the majority of the atmosphere to being around 0.04% today. Recent
additions of CO2 only increase it by a tiny amount. That amount is significant, and has effects as
below, but it is nowhere near where it used to be. A question about the change in amounts of
CO2 throughout the Earth’s history is therefore very different to one about the last 200 years or
so.

1. Describe and explain the changes in the amount of CO 2 from 2.7 billion years ago
until recently.
2.7 billion years ago, the atmosphere was full of carbon dioxide because there was a lot of
volcanic activity releasing carbon dioxide. But once there was life on earth, the atmosphere
filled up with oxygen. Until recently, the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has been
consistent. Because we use greenhouse gases as fuel to power a lot of things, the amount of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing.

2. Describe how human activity has changed the amount of CO 2 in the atmosphere.
human activity has changed that because humans are the once that are creating and doing
things to either add more CO2 to the atmosphere, or stop the trees from taking it in by cutting
them down.

3. In a debate between two students, the first students says:

“In the past, the temperature of the Earth has changed naturally. Even though it’s true the
Earth’s current temperature is high, this is a natural process and the temperature will decrease
naturally”
The second student disagrees and says:
“It is true that the temperature of the Earth has changed naturally, but the change normally
takes many hundreds of years and is very slow. This time, the change has happened very
quickly since the 19th century and is a very large change too.”

 According to student 2 what occurred in the 19 th century that caused the

temperature to increase?
 
 the industrial resolution.

 As well as combustion of fossil fuels, what could the affect the percentage of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
 
Humans cutting trees down because the trees take in the carbon dioxide.

 The data below is taken from a station that monitors the amount of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere. What is the general trend (pattern) in the readings?

It is increasing over time and the speed of increase is getting higher.

 Why does the line go up and down? (hint – think about how the amount of carbon
dioxide changes in one year with the seasons)
because in winter, a lot of vegetation dies because of the cold, this means there will be
more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Also in the winter more people want electricity
to heat their houses up and people drive around more instead of walking and cycling etc.
whereas in the summer people do spend more time outside and don’t need heating for
their houses.
 

 The data below shows how the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has
changed over time. In words, describe how the amount of carbon dioxide has changed
over time.
 Hundreds of thousands of years ago there wasn’t much carbon dioxide at all because
there wasn’t many humans and humans didn’t have the resources to create fossil fuels
until late on when the line begins to rise rapidly.

 The graph below shows the Earth’s temperature over the last 800,000 years. In
words, describe how the temperature has changed over time.

The warm spikes are getting higher, this is because of the increase in temperature on the
planet and that is because of the increase of carbon dioxide.
  Based on the graphs presented so far, which student is correct?

the second student.

 In the graph above, there are time periods when the temperature increased by 5°C in
12,000 years. In the last 150 years, the temperature has increased by 1.5°C. Does this
change your answer to question g?

 no.

Climate change
Scientists predict that the Earth’s increasing temperature will lead to climate change. There are
many effects of climate change, with just a few mentioned below:
 
Event Leads to… Effects…
Melting ice caps Habitat loss. Land based ice loss can result Puts animals and ecosystems
in rising sea levels. under stress, sea levels see
below.
Extreme weather Damage to crops and plants, interferes Widespread damage to
events with animal breeding animal numbers and diversity,
patterns/migratory/behavioural patterns potential for food shortages
Changes in the Damage to crops and plants, interferes Widespread damage to
amount and time with animal breeding animal numbers and diversity,
of rainfall patterns/migratory/behavioural patterns potential for food shortages
 
Sea levels rising Caused by increase temperature of water Human and animal colonies
  and land based ice melting, leads to low becoming uninhabitable.
lying areas of land being submerged
 How could climate change result in their being less food available for humans?
  Because if there is a change in climate then some of the plants and animals we use for food
may not be able to survive.
 How could climate change cause humans to have to leave their homes in large
numbers?

 Why are sea levels rising?

Sea levels are rising because the ice caps are melting.

 How could this affect polar bear populations?

Polar bears live on ice caps so they won’t have anywhere to live meaning the population will
decrease.

 A student took data for the temperature in December over five years. She noticed
that the temperature was decreasing over time. Explain why she would be incorrect to claim
that “global warming is a myth”
because global warming isn’t just the earth warming up, it is that any weather conditions are
getting more extreme even cold.

Carbon footprint
The carbon footprint of a product is the total amount of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases
released by that product through its full life cycle. The life cycle includes the greenhouse gases
released in manufacture and disposal. The carbon footprint of a product can be reduced by:
 Using renewable sources of energy e.g. solar and wind

 Using products less frequently (e.g. walking instead of driving)

 Building more efficient products that waste less energy e.g. more efficient engines or
home insulation

 Taxing emissions and allowing companies to not pay them if they plant trees instead

 Using biofuels which are “carbon neutral”

Reducing carbon emissions globally requires international cooperation. However, not all
countries agree that climate change is occurring. For others, taking some of the measures
above would reduce their economic productivity.
 

 When does the life cycle of a car start?

When the first piece begins being manufactured.
  

 When buying a car, what things should be considered in terms of its carbon
footprint?
What fuel it needs, to see if it is eco-friendly.

 A country whose citizens have limited access to electricity is unlikely to agree to

international measures to reduce carbon emissions. Why?
Because they are already limiting electricity?

 In terms of climate change, why is it better to take public transport to school than to
get a lift?
Because if more people take public transport then it means there are less vehicles on the road.
 

 Why is it important for homes to be properly insulated?

So you don’t have to use as much electricity to heat the house up.

 Complete the sentence stems below:

It is important to reduce our carbon footprint because we don’t want climate change to get out
of control.
It is important to reduce our carbon footprint but we sometimes we must emit carbon dioxide
to make essentials.
It is important to reduce our carbon footprint therefore we must start changing very soon
 

 Give three ways that you could reduce carbon emissions in your own life

Try to use any transport as little as possible, always turn electricity off when not needed, don’t
eat livestock

Atmospheric Pollutants
Until now we have looked at how human activity influences the amount of greenhouse gas in
the atmosphere. Human activity also causes other changes to the atmosphere which have
nothing to do with global warming and climate change.
Burning fuels results in the pollutants below being released:

Pollutant Origin Effect

Carbon monoxide Incomplete combustion of fuels Colourless and odourless but
toxic gas
Particulates (soot and Incomplete combustion of fuels Global dimming and respiratory
unburned especially in diesel engines problems and potential to
hydrocarbons) cause cancer
Sulphur dioxide Sulphur impurities in the fuel Acid rain and respiratory
 reacting with oxygen problems
Oxides of nitrogen Nitrogen from the air being heated Acid rain and respiratory
near an engine and reacting with problems
oxygen

 The government collects data on the amount of particulates in different places.

Explain why this is important.
so they can monitor whether it is getting worse and what they can do about it
 

 Most houses have carbon monoxide detectors. Explain why this is important.
Because it could start a fire.
 

 State the difference between complete and incomplete combustion.

Complete combustion is where the fire is going; incomplete combustion is where the fuel is the
but there is no heat.
 

 A new engine is invented which allows much more oxygen to react with the fuel than
before. Explain why this is important.
Because then you’re not using as much fuel which is better for the environment.
 

 Ethane is combusted (reacted with oxygen) to produce carbon monoxide and water.
Write a balanced symbol equation for this reaction at room temperature.

 A factory does not allow gases to escape before passing them through a base.
Explain why this is important.
Because if the gases escape they could go into the atmosphere.
 

 The factory uses calcium carbonate powder for this. Explain why this is better than
big lumps.

 Natural gas contains fewer impurities than other fossil fuels. Explain why this is
important.
Because it is better to know exactly what the gas is so you know what you’re releasing.
 

 People living in large cities can be more prone to certain health problems. Explain
why.
  Because the pollution in cities is worse than the pollution is less densely populated areas, this is
because there are more people in the city doing lots of different things.