Environmental Studies · General Awareness

Greenhouse Gases and Atmosphere

1,328 Questions

Review important questions related to greenhouse gases, global warming, and atmospheric changes. The practice set focuses on identifying major pollutants and their environmental impact. These concepts are tested in the general awareness and environmental studies sections.

Greenhouse gas identificationGlobal warming processAtmospheric carbon dioxideMethane emissionsCement production emissions

Greenhouse Gases and Atmosphere Questions

Multiple choice

Percentage of methane in biogas is _________.

  1. 50%

  2. 65%

  3. 68%

  4. 70%
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Biogas typically contains 50-75% methane, with 60-65% being the most common range for well-operating biogas plants. The balance is mostly CO2 (30-40%) with small amounts of other gases. Option B (65%) falls within this typical range and is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Name the atmospheric gas used by plants to make proteins.

  1. Nitrogen

  2. Argon

  3. Hydrogen

  4. Carbon dioxide

  5. Oxygen
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Nitrogen is an essential macronutrient needed by all plants to thrive. In plants much of the nitrogen is used in chlorophyll molecules which are essential for photosynthesis and further growth. It is needed for the production of amino acids which make up proteins. Nitrogen often comes from fertilizer application and from the air. Plants cannot use nitrogen in the gaseous form so it therefore needs to be turned into either nitrate or ammonium before it can be utilised by the plant. This can be done through nitrogen fixation.

Multiple choice

Which of the following does not take place in greenhouse effect?

  1. Carbon dioxide supports greenhouse effect.

  2. Carbon dioxide absorbs heat radiations from the sun.

  3. The heat is trapped within the earth’s atmosphere.

  4. Carbon dioxide keeps earth’s atmosphere warm.

  5. Plants trap excess heat to favour greenhouse effect.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases and is re-radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation is back towards the surface and the lower atmosphere it results in an elevation of the average surface temperature above what it would be in the absence of the gases. Plants reduce the greenhouse effect by absorbing carbon dioxide rather than excess heat radiation from the air while human activities like manufacturing increase the greenhouse effect by adding various greenhouse gases.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a Greenhouse gas?

  1. Carbon dioxide

  2. Methane

  3. Nitrogen

  4. Smoke

  5. Carbon Monoxide
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Nitrogen is not a Greenhouse gas. It is already present in atmosphere in large quantities which does not cause global warming.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a major greenhouse gas?

  1. Methane

  2. Ozone

  3. Carbon Dioxide

  4. Water vapour
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Ozone is not a major greenhouse gas.  Quantifying the greenhouse gas potency of ozone is difficult because it is not present in uniform concentrations across the globe. However, the most widely accepted scientific assessments relating to climate change suggest that the radiative forcing of troposphere ozone is about 25% that of carbon dioxide.  

Multiple choice

Which of the below listed greenhouse gases is/are entirely anthropogenic in origin?

  1. Carbon dioxide

  2. Nitrous oxide

  3. CFCs

  4. Methane
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

CFCs are entirely anthropogenic in origin. CFCs are phased out via the Montreal Protocol due to their part in ozone depletion. However, the atmospheric impacts of CFCs are not limited to its role as an active ozone reducer. This anthropogenic compound is also a greenhouse gas, with a much higher potential to enhance the greenhouse effect than CO2.  

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a major greenhouse gas?

  1. Water vapour

  2. Methane

  3. Helium

  4. Carbon dioxide
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Helium is not a major greenhouse gas. It is a greenhouse gas because it can absorb and re-emit the Sun's energy, but it is not a major greenhouse gas. 

Multiple choice

What causes greenhouse effect?

  1. Trapping of CO2 and water vapour by the ozone layer

  2. Trapping of sun rays by the atmosphere

  3. Increase in percentage of CO2 and methane

  4. Trapping of sun rays by the ozone layer
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Trapping of sun rays by the atmosphere causes greenhouse effect. A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. 

Multiple choice

Many scientists believe that greenhouse effect is predominantly the result of

  1. using chemical fertilizers to increase crop production

  2. testing nuclear weapons in violation of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

  3. using large amounts of gasoline, oil and coal in developed nations

  4. overgrazing on land

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Many scientists believe that the greenhouse effect is predominantly the result of using large amounts of gasoline, oil and coal in developed nations. The use of these products releases carbon dioxide, which is believed to destroy the ozone layer, which protects Earth from harmful solar radiation.