Edexcel GCSE Combined Science Chemistry 1SC0
Key Concepts in Chemistry
States of Matter and Mixtures
Chemical Changes
Extracting Metals and Equilibria
Groups in the Periodic Table
Rates of Reaction and Energy Changes
Fuels and Earth Science
Fuels and Earth Science
The Earth's early atmosphere
- 3 things to know
- Paper 4
Overview
How volcanic activity produced an early atmosphere of mostly carbon dioxide and water vapour with little or no oxygen, the small amounts of nitrogen, methane and ammonia, and why the evidence from Mars and ancient rocks is uncertain.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Name two gases that volcanoes released into the Earth's early atmosphere.
Suggest why volcanic activity was far greater on the early Earth than it is today.
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What produced the gases that made up the Earth's early atmosphere?
Model answer
The gases were released by intense volcanic activity.
- 2
Name two gases that volcanoes released into the Earth's early atmosphere.
Model answer
Volcanoes released carbon dioxide and water vapour.
- 3
State approximately how long ago the Earth's early atmosphere formed.
Model answer
It began to form about 4.6 billion years ago, when the Earth itself formed.
- 4
Suggest why volcanic activity was far greater on the early Earth than it is today.
Model answer
The young Earth was much hotter, so molten rock reached the surface far more often.
- 5
Explain why scientists cannot be certain about how the early atmosphere formed.
Model answer
No measurements were made at the time, so ideas rest on indirect evidence from rocks and from other planets.
- 6
Explain why the gases from volcanoes stayed around the Earth rather than escaping into space.
Model answer
The Earth's gravity was strong enough to hold the gases close to its surface.
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