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Air quality and climate
Identify the makeup of clean, dry air, which consists of about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and the remaining portion as a mix of noble gases and carbon dioxide.
6
Objectives
60
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42
Questions
90 min
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CambridgeIGCSECombined Scienceof the environment
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Air quality and climate outcomes6 objectives
- Identify the makeup of clean, dry air, which consists of about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and the remaining portion as a mix of noble gases and carbon dioxide.
- Identify the origins of various air pollutants, including: (a) carbon dioxide from burning carbon-based fuels completely (b) carbon monoxide and particulates from burning carbon-based fuels incompletely (c) methane from decaying plants and animal digestion waste (d) nitrogen oxides from vehicle engines (e) sulfur dioxide from burning fossil fuels containing sulfur compounds.
- Identify the negative impacts of specific air pollutants, including: (a) carbon dioxide: increased levels contributing to global warming and climate change (b) carbon monoxide: a poisonous gas (c) particulates: heightened risk of respiratory issues and cancer (d) methane: increased levels contributing to global warming and climate change (e) nitrogen oxides: causing acid rain and respiratory issues (f) sulfur dioxide: leading to acid rain.
- Identify and explain methods to mitigate climate change effects, such as: (a) tree planting (b) reducing livestock farming (c) decreasing fossil fuel usage (d) increasing renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
- Identify methods to lessen the impact of acid rain, specifically by lowering sulfur dioxide emissions through the use of low-sulfur fuels.
- Explain how greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane contribute to global warming, focusing on: (a) their role in absorbing, reflecting, and emitting thermal energy (b) their effect on reducing thermal energy loss to outer space.
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