Question detail
What human activity is primarily responsible for the increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere?
Try the question, check the answer, then read the explanation to understand the curriculum point.
At a glance
MCQ
Type
practice
Style
Topic
Carbon dioxide and methane as greenhouse gases
Question
- A. Reforestation
- B. Burning fossil fuels
- C. Planting trees
- D. Using renewable energy sources
Answer
The correct option is Burning fossil fuels. This answer is correct because it matches the approved learning objective to explain that burning fossil fuels increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in the subtopic Human activities which contribute to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Explanation
The correct option is Burning fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels is correct because it directly supports the approved learning objective to explain that burning fossil fuels increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This belongs to the subtopic Human activities which contribute to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere within Carbon dioxide and methane as greenhouse gases, so the explanation must stay tied to that curriculum context. The other options are incorrect because they either do not answer this learning objective, use a vague statement, or move away from Human activities which contribute to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Common mistake
Misattributing CO₂ source to burning fossil fuels
Students often think that burning fossil fuels only releases carbon dioxide that was already present in the fuel, ignoring that the combustion process also produces new CO₂ from the oxygen in the air.
Explain that when fossil fuels are burned, the carbon atoms in the fuel combine with oxygen from the atmosphere to form new CO₂ molecules, thereby increasing the total amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere.
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