Lesson T10.1.3

T10.1.3 Human carbon dioxide and climate change Quiz: KS3 Chemistry, Unit 10

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T10.1.3, Human carbon dioxide and climate change: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Chemistry (National Curriculum), Unit 10: Carbon cycle and atmosphere, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which gas is mainly responsible for the greenhouse effect caused by human activity?

    • Carbon dioxide
    • Nitrogen gas, which fills most of the air
    • Oxygen gas, which supports burning
    • Argon gas, which is a noble gas

  2. Which human activity has increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere?

    • Making rain from clouds
    • Breathing by animals
    • Burning fossil fuels
    • Growing crops with natural rainfall

  3. What effect do rising carbon dioxide levels have on the Earth's temperature?

    • They reduce the level of oxygen in the air directly
    • They trap more heat and cause global warming
    • They have no effect on the temperature of the planet
    • They cool the Earth by blocking sunlight from the surface

  4. Which activity reduces the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the air?

    • Using wind turbines to generate electricity without fossil fuels
    • Planting new trees in deserts to absorb more carbon dioxide
    • Cutting down large areas of forest
    • Protecting peatlands and wetlands, which store carbon in soil

  5. Which action would reduce human carbon dioxide emissions?

    • Using more renewable energy such as wind and solar
    • Burning more coal in power stations to meet demand
    • Increasing car journeys in petrol vehicles each week
    • Cutting down rainforests for farmland and grazing

  6. Which gas is also a greenhouse gas produced by human activity from farming and landfill?

    • Nitrogen
    • Methane
    • Argon
    • Helium

  7. What is a likely effect of climate change on sea level?

    • Sea levels stay exactly the same in every ocean
    • Sea levels rise as ice melts and water expands
    • Sea levels fall as ice forms over the polar regions
    • Sea levels disappear completely from the Earth's surface

  8. Which statement shows why carbon dioxide is a concern for climate?

    • It reflects all sunlight back to space
    • It traps heat in the atmosphere
    • It turns into oxygen in the air
    • It makes the air colder

  9. Which claim about climate change is supported by scientific evidence?

    • Burning fossil fuels cools the planet, because smoke blocks sunlight
    • Carbon dioxide has no effect on the climate at any level of the air
    • Average global temperatures have risen as carbon dioxide levels increased
    • Global temperatures have fallen steadily since the industrial era began

  10. What is the main human source of carbon dioxide emissions?

    • Evaporation of water from lakes, rivers and the sea surface
    • Burning fossil fuels for energy and transport
    • Photosynthesis in forests and green plants, which absorbs it
    • Breathing by people and animals, which releases carbon dioxide

  11. Which of these would reduce carbon dioxide emissions from a home?

    • Using more electric heaters at full power in every room
    • Leaving all the lights on at night in empty rooms
    • Insulating the loft to save heating energy
    • Burning waste in an open fire in the back garden

  12. Which of these is a possible effect of global warming on ecosystems?

    • Less rain in every region on Earth, all year round
    • Stronger ice sheets in polar regions as the climate warms
    • Lower temperatures across the whole planet every year
    • Changes in where plants and animals can live

  13. Which statement about the greenhouse effect is correct?

    • It only happens because of human activity and burning fuels
    • It has no effect on living things or on the climate at all
    • It cools the surface of the Earth at night and in winter
    • It is a natural process that keeps the Earth warm enough for life

  14. Which change would most help reduce the rate of climate change?

    • Clearing more land for mining
    • Releasing more methane from landfill
    • Reducing the burning of fossil fuels
    • Increasing the burning of coal in power stations

  15. Which gas is produced when fossil fuels are burned and is a major cause of climate change?

    • Argon gas, which is a noble gas
    • Carbon dioxide
    • Oxygen gas, which supports burning in the air
    • Nitrogen gas, which fills most of the air

  16. A student claims carbon dioxide has no effect on climate because it is only 0.04% of the air. Which response is best?

    • Carbon dioxide only affects the oceans and not the air
    • Small amounts cannot affect anything in the atmosphere at all
    • Carbon dioxide is actually about half of the air we breathe
    • Small amounts can still trap a large amount of heat

  17. Which measure would help absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

    • Planting trees and protecting forests
    • Cutting down trees for fuel and clearing land for housing
    • Burning more coal for power in older power stations
    • Draining wetlands for farmland and building new roads

  18. Which evidence supports the idea that human activity has increased carbon dioxide levels?

    • Measurements show carbon dioxide has risen since the industrial era
    • Carbon dioxide only exists in the oceans and the seabed
    • Carbon dioxide levels have never changed in the atmosphere
    • Carbon dioxide has fallen steadily for 200 years of records

  19. Which of these best describes global warming?

    • A sudden fall in ocean temperature after a storm passes
    • A rise in sea salt levels along the coast each year
    • A seasonal change in local weather during the summer
    • A gradual rise in the average temperature of the Earth

  20. Which action would help to slow climate change at home?

    • Using more petrol cars for short trips into town each day
    • Burning garden waste every day in the back garden
    • Leaving standby devices on all the time at home
    • Walking or cycling instead of driving short distances

All KS3 Chemistry quizzes