AQA GCSE Chemistry Foundation (8462), Foundation tier · Chemistry of the atmosphere › Carbon dioxide and methane as greenhouse gases
Practise Global climate change. 8 exam-style questions on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
How a rise in the Earth's average temperature leads to global climate change, and what the potential effects are. Expect 'describe four potential effects' questions and short discussions of the scale, risk and environmental implications of climate change.
Key facts
Rise in average global temperature → global climate change
Sea level rise → flooding and increased coastal erosion
More frequent and more severe storms
Changes in the amount, timing and distribution of rainfall
Temperature and water stress for humans and wildlife
Changes in the food-producing capacity of some regions
Changes to the distribution of wildlife species
Notes
From warming to climate change
An increase in the average global temperature is a major cause of climate change.
Global warming is the rise in average temperature. Climate change is the wider change in weather patterns it causes, such as rainfall, storms and seasons.
Climate change does not simply mean every place gets hotter: some places may get wetter weather, droughts or more storms.
Many scientists think that extra greenhouse gases from human activities are causing the rise in temperature.
Potential effects (learn at least four)
diagram
Sea levels rise, because ice on land melts into the sea and warmer sea water expands. This may cause flooding of low-lying land and more coastal erosion.
Explain each link in the chain to get every mark.
More frequent and more severe storms.
Changes in the amount, timing and distribution of rainfall: some areas may have droughts, others floods.
Temperature and water stress for humans and wildlife, e.g. heatwaves and water shortages.
Changes in the food-producing capacity of some regions: crops may fail in some areas but grow better in others.
Changes to the distribution of wildlife species: some species move to new areas, and some may become extinct.
How to answer each type of question
Describe potential effects of global climate change
2 to 4 marksGrade 5
Give as many DIFFERENT effects as there are marks.
Add a short consequence to each, e.g. 'causing flooding'.
Put each effect on a separate line so the examiner can count them.
Example. Describe four potential effects of global climate change.
Show the model answerHide the model answer
Any four from: sea levels rise, causing flooding / coastal erosion (1) more frequent or more severe storms (1) changes in the amount or pattern of rainfall, e.g. droughts in some areas (1) temperature and water stress for people and wildlife (1) some regions can produce less food (1) some species move to new areas or become extinct (1)
Don’t lose marks
Giving the same effect twice in different words (e.g. 'sea levels rise' and 'more floods from the sea') when the question asks for different effects.
Writing 'it gets hotter' as an effect. That is the cause; give effects such as rising sea levels.
Mentioning the ozone layer or skin cancer. These are not effects of global climate change.
Being vague, e.g. 'bad weather' instead of 'more frequent and severe storms'.
Saying every place will become hotter and drier. Some places may become wetter or stormier.
More tips
Memory tricks
Six effects: 'Six Serious Risks Threaten Food and Wildlife': Sea level, Storms, Rainfall, Temperature and water stress, Food production, Wildlife distribution.
Turn a one-word answer into a full mark by adding 'which causes…'.
Global warming is the temperature rise; climate change is what that rise does to weather patterns.
Exam technique
When asked for 'four effects', give four clearly different effects, one per line.
'Discuss' means give points about more than one aspect, e.g. how widespread, how likely and how serious an effect is.
Use the specification's own words where you can: 'coastal erosion', 'distribution of wildlife species', 'food-producing capacity'.
What each grade needs
What you need to be able to do, from the first marks up to the top grade.
Grade 3
State a major cause of climate changeAn increase in the average global temperature is a major cause of climate change.
Grade 4
Give potential effects of climate changeFor example, rising sea levels, more frequent and severe storms, and changes in rainfall.
Grade 5
Describe four different potential effectsGive four clearly different effects, each with a short consequence, e.g. sea levels rise, causing flooding.
Sample questions
Written for this site in the style of AQA exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy4 marks
(a) Which two are potential effects of global climate change? Tick (✓) two boxes.[2]
Acid rain
Changes to the distribution of wildlife species
Global dimming
More frequent and severe storms
(b) Give one problem caused by sea level rise.[1]
(c) Complete the sentence. Tick (✓) one box. An increase in the average global .................... is a major cause of climate change.[1]
air pressure
rainfall
temperature
wind speed
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: Changes to the distribution of wildlife species; More frequent and severe storms