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CIE iGCSE Co-Ordinated Science C10.2 Air quality and climate Exam Style Questions Paper 2

CIE iGCSE Co-Ordinated Science Paper 2 - All Chapters

Question

Which statements about air pollution are correct?

  1. Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that is formed by the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels.
  2. Oxides of nitrogen damage buildings and are produced by impurities in carbon-based fuels.
  3. Sulfur dioxide produces acid rain and is formed by the combustion of fossil fuels.

A. 1, 2 and 3
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 2 and 3 only

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: carbon monoxide is a toxic gas produced by incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels. Statement 2 is incorrect: oxides of nitrogen are produced from the reaction of nitrogen and oxygen in car engines at high temperatures, not from impurities in fuels. Statement 3 is correct: sulfur dioxide is produced by the combustion of fossil fuels containing sulfur impurities and causes acid rain. Therefore, statements 1 and 3 are correct.
✅ Answer: (C)

Question

Which statements about global warming are correct?

  1. Global warming contributes to climate change.
  2. Methane is a greenhouse gas.
  3. Decreasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere cause global warming.
  4. Carbon is a greenhouse gas.

A. 1 and 2
B. 1 and 4
C. 2 and 3
D. 3 and 4

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Global warming contributes to climate change (statement 1 correct). Methane is a greenhouse gas (statement 2 correct). Increasing, not decreasing, concentrations of greenhouse gases cause global warming (statement 3 wrong). Carbon is not a greenhouse gas; carbon dioxide is (statement 4 wrong).
✅ Answer: (A)

Question

The equation for the reaction between sulfur dioxide and oxygen is shown.

\(2\text{SO}_{2(g)} + \text{O}_{2(g)} \rightarrow 2\text{SO}_{3(g)}\)

Which statements explain why the rate of this reaction increases at higher temperatures?

  1. The molecules move closer together so they collide more frequently.
  2. The molecules move more quickly so they collide more frequently.
  3. The activation energy is decreased.
  4. More colliding particles possess the activation energy.

A. 1 and 3
B. 1 and 4
C. 2 and 3
D. 2 and 4

▶️ Answer/Explanation
At higher temperatures gas molecules move faster (higher kinetic energy), so they collide more frequently (statement 2 is correct); temperature does not cause molecules to move closer together, so statement 1 is wrong.
Higher temperature also means a greater proportion of molecules have kinetic energy exceeding the activation energy (statement 4 is correct); the activation energy itself does not change with temperature (statement 3 is wrong).
✅ Answer: (D)

Question

Catalytic converters are fitted to cars to remove some gases from exhaust emissions.

Which gases are released by catalytic converters?

A. carbon dioxide and nitrogen
B. carbon dioxide and nitrogen monoxide
C. carbon monoxide and nitrogen
D. carbon monoxide and nitrogen monoxide

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Catalytic converters convert harmful carbon monoxide and nitrogen monoxide from the exhaust into less harmful gases.
The reaction converts carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide, and nitrogen monoxide into nitrogen.
So the gases released after conversion are carbon dioxide and nitrogen, not the original pollutants.
✅ Answer: (A)

Question

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased during the last 200 years.

What has contributed to this increase?

A. burning large areas of forest
B. increasing use of pesticides
C. planting more crops
D. using fewer fossil fuels

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Burning forests (deforestation) releases stored carbon as CO2 and removes trees that would otherwise absorb \(CO_2\) through photosynthesis.
Planting more crops or using fewer fossil fuels would decrease, not increase, atmospheric \(CO_2\), and pesticide use is unrelated.
✅ Answer: (A)
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