plumiHow has the Earth’s atmosphere changed over time, and why?: OCR GCSE Chemistry B questions
Every OCR GCSE Chemistry B exam question on C1.1 How has the Earth’s atmosphere changed over time, and why?, 2018–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
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Calculations
Q6(a)(i)
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Q6(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q4(a)
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Q4(b)
The whole paper ↗Q4(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q4(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q8(a)(iii)
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Q8(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q8(c)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q4(a)
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Q4(b)(i)
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The whole paper ↗Q1(a)
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Q1(b)
The whole paper ↗Q1(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q1(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q1(c)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q7(a)
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Q7(b)
The whole paper ↗Q7(c)
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All 63 questions on How has the Earth’s atmosphere changed over time, and why?, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 3 Higher, Q6(a)(i) (3 marks): Water, H2O, can be present on earth as a solid, liquid or gas. Explain the changes in the movement and arrangement of particles when water changes from liquid t
- June 2025, Paper 3 Higher, Q6(a)(ii) (1 mark): State one limitation of the particle model. [1]
- June 2024, Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(a) (3 marks): Use the graph to predict when living things that photosynthesise first appeared on Earth. Explain your reasoning. Living things that photosynthesise appeared MY
- June 2024, Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(b) (2 marks): Which statements about the graph are true? Tick (3) two boxes. All of the hydrogen left the atmosphere over 3000 MYA. The percentage of carbon dioxide has decre
- June 2024, Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(c)(i) (2 marks): Scientists think that water vapour from volcanoes turned into liquid water over 4000 MYA and formed the Earth’s oceans. What does this suggest about the tempera
- June 2024, Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(c)(ii) (2 marks): Which of these statements support the idea that the Earth’s atmosphere came from volcanoes? Use the data in the table and the graph. Tick (3) two boxes. Hydroge
- June 2024, Paper 3 Higher, Q8(a)(iii) (1 mark): Incomplete combustion occurs when not enough oxygen is present. Name one pollutant caused by the incomplete combustion of natural gas. [1]
- June 2024, Paper 3 Higher, Q8(c)(i) (1 mark): Diesel is a hydrocarbon. Name the products formed during complete combustion of diesel. [1]
- June 2024, Paper 3 Higher, Q8(c)(iii) (2 marks): Explain why the density of hydrogen and diesel are very different. Use data from the table. [2]
- June 2024, Paper 4 Higher, Q4(a) (3 marks): Scientists have ideas about where the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans came from. They think that: 1. The atmosphere formed from gases that came out of volcanoes.
- June 2024, Paper 4 Higher, Q4(b)(i) (3 marks): Explain the changes to the percentages of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere shown on the graph. [3]
- June 2024, Paper 4 Higher, Q4(b)(ii) (2 marks): The percentages of oxygen and carbon dioxide have stayed approximately the same since 500 million years ago. Explain why. [2]
- June 2022, Paper 1 Foundation, Q1(a) (1 mark): As the Earth cooled, water vapour turned to liquid water and the oceans formed. Complete the sentence to explain why the oceans formed. Put a ring around the co
- June 2022, Paper 1 Foundation, Q1(b) (2 marks): Gradually, plants began to grow on the Earth. Complete the sentences to describe how an oxygen-rich atmosphere has developed over time. Use words from the list.
- June 2022, Paper 1 Foundation, Q1(c)(i) (2 marks): Describe how the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has changed over the last 300 million years. Use data from the graph in your answer. [2]
- June 2022, Paper 1 Foundation, Q1(c)(ii) (1 mark): State the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 200 million years ago. Percentage = % [1]
- June 2022, Paper 1 Foundation, Q1(c)(iii) (1 mark): 400 million years ago there was 0.28% carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Today there is 0.04%. Calculate how many times more carbon dioxide there was 400 million
- June 2022, Paper 2 Foundation, Q7(a) (1 mark): Carbon dioxide concentration was at its highest about 530 million years ago. What was the value of the concentration of carbon dioxide 530 million years ago? co
- June 2022, Paper 2 Foundation, Q7(b) (1 mark): During what period was the concentration of carbon dioxide similar to its concentration today? [1] from to millions of years ago
- June 2022, Paper 2 Foundation, Q7(c) (2 marks): Fig. 7.1 shows the most recent value for the concentration of carbon dioxide to be 380 parts per million (ppm). Do a calculation to convert 380 ppm into a perce
- June 2022, Paper 3 Higher, Q3(a) (1 mark): As the Earth cooled, the oceans formed. Water vapour condensed from gas to liquid. The particle model can explain properties of gases and liquids. Which stateme
- June 2022, Paper 3 Higher, Q3(b) (1 mark): The particle model assumes molecules of water and carbon dioxide are inelastic spheres. This is a limitation of the particle model. Water changes state at 100 °
- June 2022, Paper 3 Higher, Q3(c) (2 marks): Gradually, plants began to grow on Earth. Explain how this affected the composition of the atmosphere. [2]
- June 2022, Paper 3 Higher, Q3(d) (2 marks): The graph shows how the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has changed over time: 0.8 0.6 Percentage of carbon dioxide 0.4 (%) 0.2 0.0 450 400 350 3
- June 2022, Paper 4 Higher, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): How many millions of years ago was the concentration of carbon dioxide at its highest point? million years ago [1]
- June 2022, Paper 4 Higher, Q3(a)(ii) (1 mark): What was the concentration of carbon dioxide at its highest point? ppm (parts per million) [1]
- June 2022, Paper 4 Higher, Q6(a) (2 marks): Neon is a gas in Group 18 (0) of the Periodic Table. Use the particle model in Fig. 6.1 to describe what happens to the arrangement and movement of the atoms wh
- November 2021, Paper 1 Foundation, Q2(a) (2 marks): Which two processes does this equation show? Tick (3) two boxes. Condensation Chemical change Evaporation Physical change Melting Combustion [2]
- November 2021, Paper 1 Foundation, Q2(b)(i) (1 mark): Write the word for the correct state under each model. [1] Fig. 2.1
- November 2021, Paper 1 Foundation, Q2(c)(i) (2 marks): Calculate how many times more nitrogen there is than carbon dioxide in air. times more nitrogen than carbon dioxide [2]
- November 2021, Paper 1 Foundation, Q2(c)(ii) (1 mark): Oxygen is 21% of air. Plot the data for oxygen on the bar chart. 90 80 70 60 50 Percentage in air (%) 40 30 20 10 0 Nitrogen Oxygen Group 0 Carbon (inert gases)
- November 2021, Paper 1 Foundation, Q2(c)(iii) (3 marks): Draw lines to connect each gas with its correct property. Gas Property Unreactive. Group 0 (inert gases) Relights a glowing splint. Carbon dioxide Turns limewat
- November 2021, Paper 2 Foundation, Q1(a) (2 marks): Complete the sentences about nitrogen oxides. Put a ring around the correct answers. Nitrogen oxides form in the engine when nitrogen from the air / fuel reacts
- November 2021, Paper 2 Foundation, Q1(b)(i) (1 mark): Amir says that nitrogen oxides are reduced during the reaction. Give one reason why Amir is correct. [1]
- November 2021, Paper 2 Foundation, Q1(b)(ii) (1 mark): Jamal says that the reaction also involves oxidation. Give one reason why Jamal is right. [1]
- November 2021, Paper 2 Foundation, Q1(b)(iii) (3 marks): Complete the table by giving the name of each new gas formed in the reaction. Gas Name CO2 H2O N2 [3]
- November 2021, Paper 2 Foundation, Q1(b)(iv) (2 marks): Amir says that the three new gases formed are not harmful to health or to the environment. Do you agree with Amir? Explain your answer. [2]
- November 2021, Paper 3 Higher, Q5(f)(i) (1 mark): Describe how carbon monoxide forms when alkanes burn in vehicle engines. [1]
- November 2021, Paper 3 Higher, Q5(f)(ii) (1 mark): Why is it important to decrease the amount of carbon monoxide entering the air? [1]
- November 2021, Paper 3 Higher, Q5(g) (2 marks): Nitrogen oxides are also formed in vehicle engines. Describe how nitrogen oxides form in vehicle engines. [2]
- November 2021, Paper 4 Higher, Q6(a)(i) (1 mark): The overall reaction that happens in Stage 1 and Stage 2 produces three waste gases which leave the exhaust. Name these three gases. 1. 2. 3. [1]
- November 2021, Paper 4 Higher, Q6(a)(ii) (2 marks): The urea solution is sprayed into the hot exhaust gases before they leave the car. Explain why the two equations show the state symbol for water as (g) rather t
- November 2021, Paper 4 Higher, Q6(a)(iii) (1 mark): In the car, the urea solution is stored in a tank. The tank is kept cool by being kept far away from the hot engine. Why is it important to keep the urea soluti
- November 2020, Paper 2 Foundation, Q8(a) (1 mark): Why does the company set up three monitoring stations rather than only one? [1]
- November 2020, Paper 2 Foundation, Q8(b)(i) (2 marks): Explain one reason why this is important. [2]
- November 2020, Paper 2 Foundation, Q8(b)(ii) (1 mark): Suggest one other factor the company should consider when deciding where to set up the monitoring stations. [1]
- November 2020, Paper 2 Foundation, Q8(c) (6 marks): A company sets up three monitoring stations to measure the concentration of sulfur dioxide in the air around a coal-fired power station. (c)* The power station
- November 2020, Paper 4 Higher, Q9(a) (3 marks): Ali looks at the data from the monitoring station and says: An increase in air temperature causes more sulfur dioxide to be present in the air. Discuss why this
- November 2020, Paper 4 Higher, Q9(b) (4 marks): Use the table to predict the concentration of sulfur dioxide, SO2, for Saturday and Sunday. Explain your answers. Concentration of SO2 on Saturday mg / m3 Expla
- November 2020, Paper 4 Higher, Q9(c) (3 marks): The power station agrees to these targets for sulfur dioxide concentration in the air near the power station. Targets Sulfur dioxide concentration must be below
- June 2018, Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(a)(i) (2 marks): Nitrogen monoxide is one type of nitrogen oxide that is formed in a power station. The reaction that forms nitrogen oxide can be shown in an equation. Complete
- June 2018, Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(a)(ii) (2 marks): Which statements about nitrogen oxides are true and which are false? Put a tick (✓) in one box in each row. True False Nitrogen oxides are also produced in car
- June 2018, Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(b) (2 marks): The graph shows information about the concentration in parts per billion (ppb) of nitrogen oxides in the air between 1980 and 2012. 250 200 concentration of 150
- June 2018, Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(c)(i) (1 mark): Why is it necessary to set a safe limit for exposure to nitrogen oxides? [1]
- June 2018, Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(c)(ii) (2 marks): Layla and Mia talk about the graph. Layla says that the nitrogen oxides have been below the safe limit since 1990. Mia says that nitrogen oxides have only been
- June 2018, Paper 3 Higher, Q4(a)(i) (2 marks): Describe how the oxygen content of the Earth’s atmosphere has changed during the last four billion years. [2]
- June 2018, Paper 3 Higher, Q4(a)(ii) (1 mark): The concentration of oxygen has increased from two billion years ago to today. By what factor has it increased? Factor = [1]
- June 2018, Paper 3 Higher, Q4(a)(iii) (2 marks): Explain what caused the sudden increase in oxygen concentration 2.5 billion years ago and explain why the concentration did not continue to rise. [2]
- June 2018, Paper 3 Higher, Q4(b) (1 mark): Iron pyrites in rocks was oxidised to compounds like iron(III) sulfate by the oxygen in the early atmosphere. Complete the balanced chemical equation for this r
- June 2018, Paper 4 Higher, Q11(a) (2 marks): Which statements about nitrogen oxides are true and which are false? Put a tick (3) in one box in each row. True False Nitrogen oxides form in an oxidation reac
- June 2018, Paper 4 Higher, Q11(b)(i) (3 marks): A scientist comments that the daily concentration of nitrogen oxides in 2012 has fallen by more than 50% compared to 1980. To what extent does the data support
- June 2018, Paper 4 Higher, Q11(b)(ii) (1 mark): The concentration of nitrogen oxides is measured in ppb. 1 ppb = 0.000 001 mg / cm3 What was the lowest daily concentration of nitrogen oxides in 1980? Tick (3)
- June 2018, Paper 4 Higher, Q11(c) (2 marks): Scientists first collect data about the concentration of nitrogen oxides in the air from a monitoring station near a power station. They then set up 30 monitori
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