AQA GCSE AI C13.1 Earth's Atmosphere (Cognito)

Which two gases make up the majority of the Earth's current atmosphere?

• Oxygen and carbon dioxide

• Oxygen and water vapor

• Nitrogen and oxygen

• Nitrogen and carbon dioxide

What gas made up the largest proportion of Earth's early atmosphere?

• Oxygen

• Methane

• Water vapor

• Carbon dioxide

Which process was most responsible for the rise in atmospheric oxygen over billions of years?

• Evaporation

• Condensation

• Respiration

• Photosynthesis

What key development allowed oceans to form on early Earth?

• Decrease in volcanic activity

• Cooling of Earth’s surface causing water vapor to condense

• Arrival of comets carrying water

• Photosynthesis by early plants

Algae began to change Earth’s atmosphere approximately how many years ago?

• 4.6 billion years ago

• 3.5 billion years ago

• 2.7 billion years ago

• 1.5 billion years ago

What happened to carbon dioxide that dissolved in the oceans?

• It escaped into space

• It reacted with oxygen to form ozone

• It formed carbonates and became trapped in sediments

• It caused the oceans to boil

What type of rock is coal, and what is it mainly made from?

• Igneous; volcanic ash

• Metamorphic; minerals under pressure

• Sedimentary; dead plankton

• Sedimentary; dead plant material

Limestone is mostly made from:

• Dead trees

• Carbon dioxide gas

• Calcium carbonate from marine organisms

• Oil and gas deposits

Why is the theory of the atmosphere’s evolution still considered a theory and not a fact?

• There is no evidence to support it

• It is impossible to study gases

• It happened too recently

• It happened over billions of years and evidence is limited

Which planets today have atmospheres that resemble early Earth's atmosphere?

• Mercury and Jupiter

• Mars and Venus

• Saturn and Uranus

• Neptune and Earth