Earth's Changing Climate Ch. 3

Match the gases with how they are produced.

• Carbon Dioxide and Methane

• Population

• Carbon Dioxide

• Livestock

• Methane

• Combustion engines

Answer explanation

Combustion engines became common in the mid-1800s when people began to use them to power ships, trains, and machinery in factories. Combustion engines add carbon dioxide to the air.

Humans raise livestock to eat as meat. The growing number of livestock, such as cows and sheep, adds methane to the atmosphere.

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Human activities increase carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Humans produce carbon dioxide by using combustion engines or producing electricity. They even produce it by breathing. Human activities such as raising animals to eat as meat produce methane.

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Which of the following increase carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

• There are more volcanoes than there were in the past.

• People are riding bicycles instead of driving cars.

• People create factories that are powered by combustion.

• There is a higher population of people than ever before.

Answer explanation

There are more people doing or creating things that use combustion.

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What can humans do to help keep carbon dioxide and methane in Earth's atmosphere from increasing? (check all that apply)

• Drive their cars less often

• Eat less meat so that fewer livestock need to be kept

• Build more factories

• Raise more livestock to eat

Answer explanation

Eating less meat would mean fewer livestock animals producing methane.

Driving fewer automobiles would mean less carbon dioxide produced from combustion.

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Reforestation or replanting trees helps to reduce

(a)   in the atmosphere.

• carbon dioxide
• methane
• sulfur dioxide
• oxygen

Answer explanation

Trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide as a part of photosynthesis. They also produce oxygen.

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When making an argument about how climate change is affecting the ice cover on Earth, which of the following would be the LEAST effective type of evidence to support your argument?

• data tracking the amount of snowfall for the last 50 years

• data tracking the surface temperature for the last 200 years

• data tracking carbon dioxide levels for the last 100 years

• data tracking glacier size for the last 2 years

Answer explanation

Scientists always want to look at the most data possible over the longest period of time. This helps them to spot trends and not just fluctuations.

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Improved drainage, floating buildings, and restoring wetlands help cities to address...

Answer explanation

Sea level rise creates problems for cities because their sewers can't drain. It can also affect them by flooding buildings. Restoring wetlands is a good way to absorb water naturally and combat sea level rise.

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Which gas is made of carbon and hydrogen atoms?

• Carbon dioxide

• Methane

• Sulfur Dioxide

• Nitrogen Dioxide

Answer explanation

Methane is a molecule made of one carbon and four hydrogen atoms.

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Which gas is made of carbon and oxygen atoms?

• Carbon dioxide

• Methane

• Sulfur Dioxide

• Nitrogen Dioxide

Answer explanation

Carbon dioxide is a molecule made of one carbon and two oxygen atoms.

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Where are greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane being produced in this picture?

Answer explanation

Carbon dioxide can be produced by factories using combustion. Methane can be produced from the flatulence and burps of livestock like cows.

Trees, grass, and windmills do not produce carbon dioxide or methane.

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