Earth's Atmosphere & CO2

Question 1

Which of the following questions would best help clarify the evidence that human activities have contributed to the rise in global temperatures over the past century?

Accepted Answer

What is the relationship between atmospheric carbon‑dioxide levels and average global temperature during the last 100 years?

Answer

How many volcanic eruptions occurred worldwide in the past 100 years?

Answer

When did the temperature of Earth’s core begin to increase?

Answer

What was the average temperature in my hometown last summer?

Question 2

Which statement best explains how the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) can lead to more frequent intense hurricanes?

Accepted Answer

Higher CO₂ warms the ocean surface, giving storms extra energy, so hurricanes can become more intense.

Answer

More CO₂ makes the air thinner, so hurricanes encounter less resistance and move faster.

Answer

Increased CO₂ adds extra weight to the atmosphere, pulling storms toward the equator.

Answer

Higher CO₂ reduces water‑vapor amounts in the air, which weakens storms and makes hurricanes less intense.

Question 3

Imagine a city where each car burns 10 L of gasoline every day and a nearby forest of 1,000 trees is being cleared. Which statement best explains why both the car traffic and the tree cutting cause the atmospheric CO₂ concentration to rise?

Accepted Answer

B) Burning gasoline turns carbon that was locked in oil into CO₂, and cutting down trees releases the carbon stored in the wood as CO₂; both actions add new CO₂ that was previously stored elsewhere to the atmosphere.

Answer

A) Burning gasoline releases CO₂ that was previously stored in oil, and cutting down trees only stops them from taking up CO₂, so the total amount of CO₂ in the air stays the same.

Answer

C) Burning gasoline uses up oxygen, leaving less O₂ for plants, and cutting down trees reduces the amount of CO₂ that plants can produce, so overall CO₂ goes down.

Answer

D) Burning gasoline creates CO₂, but nearby plants instantly reabsorb it, and cutting down trees releases oxygen, which cancels the added CO₂.

Try three questions

Which of the following questions would best help clarify the evidence that human activities have contributed to the rise in global temperatures over the past century?

Which statement best explains how the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) can lead to more frequent intense hurricanes?

Imagine a city where each car burns 10 L of gasoline every day and a nearby forest of 1,000 trees is being cleared. Which statement best explains why both the car traffic and the tree cutting cause the atmospheric CO₂ concentration to rise?

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