Lesson 5.4.2

5.4.2 Causes of anthropogenic climate change and greenhouse gases Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield), Unit 5

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 5.4.2, Causes of anthropogenic climate change and greenhouse gases: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) (9BI0), Unit 5: On the Wild Side, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which gas is the main cause of the enhanced greenhouse effect from human activity?

    • Argon from the atmosphere, released by volcanoes
    • Oxygen released by photosynthesis in leaves
    • Nitrogen from the air, released by plants
    • Carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels and deforestation

  2. What role do greenhouse gases play in the greenhouse effect?

    • They block all ultraviolet radiation from reaching the Earth
    • They reflect all incoming sunlight back into space
    • They absorb infrared from Earth and re-emit it
    • They produce heat by burning in the upper atmosphere

  3. Which greenhouse gas is released in large amounts from livestock and rice paddies?

    • Argon
    • Methane
    • Helium
    • Ozone

  4. Which human activity contributes most to increasing atmospheric methane?

    • Livestock farming and rice cultivation
    • Recycling paper and cardboard at home
    • Planting trees in forests to absorb carbon
    • Using solar panels on rooftops at home

  5. Why is deforestation a cause of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide?

    • Deforestation produces oxygen that reacts with CO2
    • Trees' stored carbon is released when burned or rotted
    • Deforestation increases photosynthesis in the remaining trees
    • Deforestation removes carbon from the atmosphere permanently

  6. Which statement about the carbon cycle and human emissions is correct?

    • Fossil fuels contain no carbon
    • Burning fossil fuels removes carbon from the atmosphere
    • Burning fossil fuels releases ancient buried carbon
    • The carbon cycle is unaffected by human emissions

  7. Why is methane a more potent greenhouse gas per molecule than carbon dioxide, even though it is present in lower amounts?

    • It absorbs infrared more strongly per molecule
    • It blocks sunlight before it reaches the Earth
    • It has no effect on the atmosphere at all
    • It is only found in the upper atmosphere

  8. A student says water vapour is the most abundant greenhouse gas, so it must be the main cause of recent warming. What is the best evaluation?

    • Water vapour is mainly a feedback; human CO2 drives change
    • Water vapour is not part of the atmosphere
    • Water vapour does not absorb any infrared radiation
    • The student is correct because water vapour is the only greenhouse gas

  9. Which activity increases the emission of carbon dioxide?

    • Using wind turbines to generate electricity
    • Planting new woodland areas
    • Burning coal in power stations
    • Restoring peat bogs that are already wet

  10. Why is it important to distinguish natural and anthropogenic greenhouse gas sources?

    • Because natural sources produce no greenhouse gases at all
    • To prove that greenhouse gases are harmless
    • To identify which emissions human action can control and reduce
    • Because anthropogenic sources are always natural in origin

  11. A student calculates that a country's carbon dioxide emissions are 500 million tonnes per year. What does this measure?

    • The yearly rate of CO2 release
    • The total amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
    • The amount of oxygen produced by the country's forests
    • The temperature change caused by CO2 in one year

  12. Why does the greenhouse effect itself make the Earth habitable?

    • It stops any heat from reaching the surface at all
    • It makes the Earth too cold for any life to survive
    • It removes oxygen from the lower atmosphere
    • They keep the surface warm enough for liquid water

  13. Which method is most likely to reduce methane emissions from agriculture?

    • Burning more fossil fuels on farms
    • Changing diets and managing manure and rice fields
    • Removing all trees from the farmland
    • Increasing the number of cattle to dilute the gas

  14. A chart shows a steady rise in atmospheric CO2 since the 1950s. What is the most likely driver?

    • A decrease in the number of trees worldwide
    • Increased volcanic activity alone with no human influence
    • Fossil fuel burning and land-use change from human activity
    • A decline in ocean surface temperature

  15. Why is the enhanced greenhouse effect a concern for ecosystems?

    • It has no effect on living organisms
    • It makes all ecosystems more productive in every case
    • It removes all carbon from the soil
    • It shifts temperature and rainfall for species

  16. Which evaluation of the link between human emissions and climate change is best supported?

    • The greenhouse effect is unrelated to CO2 concentration
    • Rising human emissions match observed warming and physics
    • There is no evidence that human emissions affect the atmosphere
    • Human emissions have no effect because natural processes always cancel them

  17. What does the term anthropogenic mean in the context of climate change?

    • Caused by changes in the Earth's orbit
    • Caused or produced by human activity
    • Caused by solar flares only
    • Caused by natural volcanic eruptions

  18. Why does carbon dioxide stay in the atmosphere for a long time after it is emitted?

    • It is removed slowly by oceans and plants
    • It breaks down within a day in sunlight
    • It is removed instantly by photosynthesis
    • It converts into oxygen within a week

  19. Why is ocean acidification linked to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide?

    • Oceans become alkaline as CO2 rises
    • Dissolved CO2 forms carbonic acid, lowering pH
    • Ocean salinity falls to zero
    • Oceans release all their carbonate into the air

  20. Which change would most reduce CO2 emissions from electricity generation?

    • Burning more diesel in backup generators
    • Switching from coal to wind, solar or nuclear power
    • Removing solar panels from homes
    • Increasing the number of coal-fired power stations

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