AQA GCSE Chemistry (8462), Higher tier · Chemistry of the atmosphere › Composition and evolution of the atmosphere
Practise The Earth's early atmosphere. 14 exam-style questions on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
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Name the process that released most of the gases that formed the Earth's early atmosphere.
volcanic activity
Sample questions
Written for this site in the style of AQA exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy5 marks
The Earth is about 4.6 billion years old. One theory describes how the Earth's early atmosphere formed.
(a) According to this theory, what was the main gas in the Earth's early atmosphere? Tick (✓) one box.[1]
Argon
Carbon dioxide
Nitrogen
Oxygen
(b) Where did the gases in the early atmosphere come from?[1]
(c) How were the oceans formed?[1]
(d) Name two other gases that may have been in the early atmosphere in small proportions.[2]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: Carbon dioxide
(b)
volcanoes / volcanic activity
(c)
water vapour (from volcanoes) condensed
(d)
nitrogen
methane
ammonia
water vapour
Question 2Medium5 marks
During the first billion years of the Earth's existence there was intense volcanic activity.
(a) Describe how the oceans formed.[2]
(b) Explain how the formation of the oceans reduced the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.[2]
(c) Volcanoes also released nitrogen. The nitrogen gradually built up in the atmosphere. Suggest why the nitrogen built up rather than being removed from the atmosphere.[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)
volcanoes released water vapour
the water vapour condensed (as the Earth cooled)
(b)
carbon dioxide dissolved in the (ocean) water
carbonates were precipitated, producing sediments
(c)
nitrogen is unreactive / does not dissolve well in water (so it was not removed)
Question 3Hard6 marks
One theory suggests how the Earth's early atmosphere and oceans formed during the first billion years of the Earth's existence.
Describe this theory of how the Earth's early atmosphere and oceans formed. Explain how the amount of carbon dioxide in the early atmosphere then began to decrease.[6]
Show the answer and mark scheme
intense volcanic activity during the first billion years
volcanoes released gases that formed the early atmosphere
the early atmosphere was mainly carbon dioxide with little or no oxygen (like Mars and Venus today)
volcanoes also released nitrogen, which gradually built up; there may have been small proportions of methane and ammonia
water vapour released by volcanoes condensed to form the oceans
carbon dioxide dissolved in the oceans
carbonates were precipitated, producing sediments
this reduced the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
Marked with levels of response: the full level descriptors are in the app.