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The Carbon Cycle

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 56mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Ethan, Luna, and Charlotte are studying the carbon cycle for their science project. They are particularly interested in understanding how carbon enters the atmosphere. Can you help them?

a)

burning of fossil fuels & biomass

b)

decomposition

c)

diffusion from oceans

d)

volcanic eruptions

e)

cellular respiration from living things

2.

How does carbon leave the atmosphere?

a)

photosynthesis

b)

cellular respiration

c)

diffusion into the ocean

d)

burning matter

3.

Human activity can increase the amount of atmospheric CO2, usually through the burning of fossil fuels. This contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming. There are no natural processes that can off-set this increased amount of carbon dioxide. What are three things HUMANS can do specifically to decrease the amount of atmospheric CO2? (3 pts)

4 lines
4.

Carbon dioxide is absorbed by producers to make (a)   in photosynthesis.

Choose from the below words
oxygen
carbon
carbohydrates
water
5.

Benjamin, Abigail, and Isla are discussing ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Which of the following actions, if taken by one of them, would not add CO2 to the atmosphere?

a)

Benjamin cooking with gas

b)

Abigail planting trees

c)

Isla burning wood

d)

Abigail riding in a bus

6.

Combustion is another word for (a)  

Choose from the below words
burning
melting
exploding
incinerating 
7.
How does the carbon in grass become part of a living animal?
a)
by eating the grass
b)
It doesn't end up in the animal no matter what
c)
It ends up in its food chain
d)
It breathes in carbon given out by the plant
8.
Why is the increase in greenhouse gasses an issue
a)
It causes climate change and increase in the global temperature 
b)
It can lead to a major increase in greenhouses
c)
It leads to more factories
d)
It causes a moajor decrease in people
9.

Too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes climate change because it (a)   .

Choose from the below words
It cools our planet
Blocks out UV rays
Traps heat and warms planet
Lets light escape
10.

Lily, Evelyn, and Sophia are studying the effects of human activities and natural events on the carbon cycle. They are particularly interested in how the burning of fossil fuels and volcanic eruptions are similar. They understand that both (a)   .

Choose from the below words
remove carbon from the atmosphere
add carbon to the atmosphere
add carbon to the lithosphere
remove carbon from the lithosphere
11.

(a)   contributes to the greenhouse gasses by loss of trees that would otherwise remove carbon dioxide from the air.

Choose from the below words
Deforestation
Afforestation
Reforestation
Urbanization
12.

Ava, Benjamin, and Hannah are discussing where carbon is stored on Earth. Ava thinks it's stored in trees and other living things, Benjamin believes it's in the oceans, and Hannah thinks it's underground in soil and fossil fuels. Who is correct?

a)

Ava

b)

Benjamin

c)

Hannah

d)

All are correct

13.

Michael is studying about different processes and their impact on the environment. He learned that all of the following processes produce carbon dioxide except one. Which one does not produce carbon dioxide?

a)

Photosynthesis performed by the plants in Priya's garden

b)

Burning Fossil Fuels as Abigail's family does to heat their home

c)

Animal respiration like Michael's pet dog

d)

Decaying of plants in Michael's backyard

14.

How do living organisms return carbon to the atmosphere in the carbon cycle?

a)

respiration

b)

decomposition

c)

photosynthesis

d)

transpiration

15.

The carbon in grass becomes part of a lion through (a)   .

Choose from the below words
The lion eats the grass
Carbon from grass cannot become part of a lion
The lion breathes in carbon given off by the grass
The carbon ends up in the lion's prey.
16.

(a)   removes carbon from the atmosphere.

Choose from the below words
Combustion
Respiration
Photosynthesis
Death
17.

Aiden, Avery, and Abigail are having a picnic and they brought a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. How can carbon from a polar bear end up in their sandwich?

a)

The polar bear dies, its body decomposes, and the resulting CO2 is released into the atmosphere

b)

The polar bear inhaled CO2 from a peanut plant growing in the Artic

c)

The polar bear eats peanut butter

d)

CO2 from the atmosphere is absorbed by the peanut plant, which is then used to make the peanut butter

e)

They eat the sandwich which contains peanut butter [crushed peanuts from the peanut plant]

18.

Which choice correctly shows the gases that enter and exit plants during photosynthesis?

a)

Enter: Oxygen

Exit: Carbon Dioxide

b)

Enter: Carbon Dioxide

Exit: Oxygen

c)

Enter: Water Vapor

Exit: Glucose

d)

Enter: Light

Exit: Water Vapor

19.

Match each scenario with what would happen to the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

a)

Increase

1.

The number of trees in a park decreases over the years.

b)

Decrease

2.

The number of trees in a park increases over the years.

c)

Stay the same

3.

The number of trees in a park remains unchanged over the years.

20.

Liam, James, and Noah were studying a graph in their environmental science class. Based on the graph, which of the following is the best conclusion they can make?

a)

atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have been decreasing since 1960

b)

Hawaii has a lot of carbon dioxide

c)

humans have been working hard to decrease carbon dioxide levels

d)

atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased steadily since 1960