Carbon Cycle Review

Earth's Spheres

100

Name one of the earth's spheres

Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Biosphere, Geosphere

200

The bed of a river is part of which sphere?

Geosphere

300

Which 2 spheres are involved during photosynthesis?

Biosphere and Atmosphere

400

Which sphere is most impacted by climate change?

Biosphere

500

Give a path a carbon atom might take through all 4 spheres using technical terms

E.g. Beginning in atmosphere, absorbed into biosphere through photosynthesis, turned into fossil fuels in geosphere through fossilisation, sent back into atmosphere through combustion, absorbed into hydrosphere through ocean acidification

Carbon Stores

100

Give one example of a carbon store

E.g. Trees

200

True or False: Animals are not a carbon store as they respire and release carbon dioxide rather than absorbing it

False 

300

Which carbon store stores the most carbon?

Rocks/ Soils

400

State the 3 broad categories of carbon stores in the biosphere 

Plants, Animals and Microorganisms including Algae

500

Order these environments in order of quantity of carbon stores above ground: Desert, Rainforest, Ocean, City

Desert -> City -> Rainfrest -> Ocean 

Movement of Carbon

100

Give one scientific term that describes a process of carbon moving between 2 spheres

E.g. Combustion

200

Name the process that moves carbon from the atmosphere into the hydrosphere 

Ocean Acidification

300

Name the 2 processes that can move carbon from the biosphere into the atmosphere 

Respiration and Combustion

400

Identify the 2 processes that must occur for carbon to move from plants into animals and then into the geosphere 

Consumption then Fossilisation or Decay

500

Give some possible processes that would result in carbon taking the following path through the spheres:

Geosphere -> Atmosphere -> Biosphere (plant) -> Biosphere (animal) -> Atmosphere 

Combustion -> Photosynthesis -> Consumption/Eating -> Decay/Decomposition

Human Influence

100

Name on thing humans have done that has impacted the climate cycle

Burning fossil fuels, deforestation etc. 

200

Name one greenhouse gas

CO2, Methane etc.

300

Name one impact of increasing greenhouse gas concentration 

Global warming, ocean acidification etc.

400

What is the general/word equation for combustion 

Fuel + Oxygen (gas) -> CO2 + H2O + Energy

500

Describe the greenhouse effect (how the gases increase temperatures)

Greenhouse gases absorb some of the sun's energy that is reflected by the surface of the earth and then re-emit that energy back into the atmosphere and down to earth, keeping more heat inside the atmosphere