THE EARTH’S

ATMOSPHERE
A guide for GCSE students

2010
KNOCKHARDY PUBLISHING SPECIFICATIONS
 THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE
INTRODUCTION
This Powerpoint show is one of several produced to help students
understand selected GCSE Chemistry topics. It is based on the requirements
of the AQA specification but is suitable for other examination boards.
Individual students may use the material at home for revision purposes and
it can also prove useful for classroom teaching with an interactive white
board.
Accompanying notes on this, and the full range of AS and A2 Chemistry
topics, are available from the KNOCKHARDY WEBSITE at...

www.knockhardy.org.uk

All diagrams, photographs and any animations in this Powerpoint are

original and created by Jonathan Hopton. Permission must be
obtained for their use in any work that is distributed for financial gain.
THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE
CONTENTS
• Preparatory work
• Today’s atmosphere
• Fractional distillation of air
• Composition of air – laboratory experiment
• How the atmosphere has changed over time
• The Miller-Urey experiment
• Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
 THE ATMOSPHERE
PREPARATORY WORK
 THE ATMOSPHERE
PREPARATORY WORK
Arrange the following gases into ELEMENTS, COMPOUNDS and MIXTURES

CARBON DIOXIDE NITROGEN

AMMONIA

OXYGEN
WATER (VAPOUR)

ARGON
AIR HYDROGEN
 THE ATMOSPHERE
PREPARATORY WORK
Arrange the following gases into ELEMENTS, COMPOUNDS and MIXTURES

ELEMENTS COMPOUNDS
MIXTURES
NITROGEN CARBON DIOXIDE AIR

OXYGEN AMMONIA

ARGON WATER (VAPOUR)

HYDROGEN
 THE ATMOSPHERE
PREPARATORY WORK
Arrange the following into ELEMENTS, COMPOUNDS and MIXTURES
 THE ATMOSPHERE
PREPARATORY WORK
Arrange the following into ELEMENTS, COMPOUNDS and MIXTURES

ELEMENTS COMPOUNDS
MIXTURES
 THE ATMOSPHERE
PREPARATORY WORK
All these gases have been in the earth’s atmosphere.
How many of them… were there originally / are there now?

CARBON DIOXIDE NITROGEN

AMMONIA
WATER VAPOUR
OXYGEN
HELIUM
OZONE
ARGON
HYDROGEN
METHANE
 THE ATMOSPHERE
PREPARATORY WORK
All these gases have been in the earth’s atmosphere.
How many of them… were there originally / are there now?

ORIGINAL PRESENT

CARBON DIOXIDE NITROGEN OXYGEN

WATER VAPOUR CARBON DIOXIDE

AMMONIA HELIUM ARGON

METHANE WATER VAPOUR

OZONE
 THE ATMOSPHERE
PREPARATORY WORK
Which of the following gases are classed as atmospheric pollutants?

NITROGEN
OXYGEN
CARBON DIOXIDE

CARBON MONOXIDE ARGON

SULPHUR DIOXIDE WATER VAPOUR

NITROGEN MONOXIDE
 THE ATMOSPHERE
PREPARATORY WORK
Which of the following gases are classed as atmospheric pollutants?

NON-POLLUTANTS POLLUTANTS

NITROGEN CARBON MONOXIDE

OXYGEN SULPHUR DIOXIDE

CARBON DIOXIDE NITROGEN MONOXIDE

ARGON

WATER VAPOUR
 THE ATMOSPHERE TODAY

THE EARTH IS COVERED BY A THIN LAYER OF

ATMOSPHERE MADE UP OF A MIXTURE OF GASES
 THE ATMOSPHERE TODAY
THE MOST COMMON GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE ARE
 THE ATMOSPHERE TODAY
THE MOST COMMON GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE ARE

NITROGEN
 THE ATMOSPHERE TODAY
THE MOST COMMON GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE ARE

OXYGEN

NITROGEN
 THE ATMOSPHERE TODAY
THE MOST COMMON GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE ARE

OXYGEN OTHER GASES

(MOSTLY ARGON)

NITROGEN
ESTIMATE THE
PERCENTAGES
 THE ATMOSPHERE TODAY
THE MOST COMMON GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE ARE

OXYGEN OTHER GASES

(MOSTLY ARGON)
1%
21%

78%
NITROGEN
 ATMOSPHERIC GASES - SUMMARY
Air is a mixture of various gases
 ATMOSPHERIC GASES - SUMMARY
Air is a mixture of various gases

Its composition can vary depending on the environment.

If one ignores water vapour 0% - 4%

pollutants
(variable)
 ATMOSPHERIC GASES - SUMMARY
Air is a mixture of various gases

Its composition can vary depending on the environment.

If one ignores water vapour 0% - 4%

pollutants
(variable)

the main constituents are nitrogen 78%

oxygen 21%
noble gases* 1%
carbon dioxide 0.03%

* mostly argon but with some helium, neon, krypton and xenon

The gases in air have different boiling points and can be fractionally
distilled to provide a source of raw materials used in a variety of
Industrial processes.
FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION OF AIR
 FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION OF AIR
The gases in air have different boiling points and can be fractionally
distilled to provide useful raw materials used in industrial processes.
 FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION OF AIR
The gases in air have different boiling points and can be fractionally
distilled to provide useful raw materials used in industrial processes.

Air

Air is filtered to remove dust

Water vapour condenses, and is removed using absorbent filters
Carbon dioxide freezes at –79ºC, and is removed
The remaining air is cooled in stages to –200°C where it is a liquid
The liquid is then allowed to warm up
Nitrogen boils off first at –196ºC
Oxygen boils off at –183ºC
 FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION OF AIR
The gases in air have different boiling points and can be fractionally
distilled to provide useful raw materials used in industrial processes.

Air is filtered to remove dust

Water vapour condenses, and is removed using absorbent filters
Carbon dioxide freezes at –79ºC, and is removed
The remaining air is cooled in stages to –200°C where it is a liquid
The liquid is then allowed to warm up
Nitrogen boils off first at –196ºC
Oxygen boils off at –183ºC
 FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION OF AIR
The gases in air have different boiling points and can be fractionally
distilled to provide useful raw materials used in industrial processes.

CO2

Air is filtered to remove dust

Water vapour condenses, and is removed using absorbent filters
Carbon dioxide freezes at –79ºC, and is removed
The remaining air is cooled in stages to –200°C where it is a liquid
The liquid is then allowed to warm up
Nitrogen boils off first at –196ºC
Oxygen boils off at –183ºC
 FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION OF AIR
The gases in air have different boiling points and can be fractionally
distilled to provide useful raw materials used in industrial processes.

Air is filtered to remove dust

Water vapour condenses, and is removed using absorbent filters
Carbon dioxide freezes at –79ºC, and is removed
The remaining air is cooled in stages to –200°C where it is a liquid
The liquid is then allowed to warm up
Nitrogen boils off first at –196ºC
Oxygen boils off at –183ºC
 FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION OF AIR
The gases in air have different boiling points and can be fractionally
distilled to provide useful raw materials used in industrial processes.

Air is filtered to remove dust

Water vapour condenses, and is removed using absorbent filters
Carbon dioxide freezes at –79ºC, and is removed
The remaining air is cooled in stages to –200°C where it is a liquid
The liquid is then allowed to warm up
Nitrogen boils off first at –196ºC
Oxygen boils off at –183ºC
 FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION OF AIR
The gases in air have different boiling points and can be fractionally
distilled to provide useful raw materials used in industrial processes.

N2

Air is filtered to remove dust

Water vapour condenses, and is removed using absorbent filters
Carbon dioxide freezes at –79ºC, and is removed
The remaining air is cooled in stages to –200°C where it is a liquid
The liquid is then allowed to warm up
Nitrogen boils off first at –196ºC
Oxygen boils off at –183ºC
 FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION OF AIR
The gases in air have different boiling points and can be fractionally
distilled to provide useful raw materials used in industrial processes.

O2

Air is filtered to remove dust

Water vapour condenses, and is removed using absorbent filters
Carbon dioxide freezes at –79ºC, and is removed
The remaining air is cooled in stages to –200°C where it is a liquid
The liquid is then allowed to warm up
Nitrogen boils off first at –196ºC
Oxygen boils off at –183ºC
 FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION OF AIR
The gases in air have different boiling points and can be fractionally
distilled to provide useful raw materials used in industrial processes.

CO2 O2

N2
Air

Air is filtered to remove dust

Water vapour condenses, and is removed using absorbent filters
Carbon dioxide freezes at –79ºC, and is removed
The remaining air is cooled in stages to –200°C where it is a liquid
The liquid is then allowed to warm up
Nitrogen boils off first at –196ºC Argon boils off at -186ºC
Oxygen boils off at –183ºC
 USES OF THE COMPONENTS OF AIR

OXYGEN steel making

oxy-acetylene welding
breathing equipment
aerating sewage

NITROGEN inert atmosphere for food – stops it going ‘off’

liquid nitrogen is used for cooling medical tissue

ARGON inert atmosphere for light bulbs

COMPOSITION OF AIR - LABORATORY EXPERIMENT
 COMPOSITION OF AIR - LABORATORY EXPERIMENT
Place copper turnings in a silica tube and fill one of the syringes with
air. Heat the copper and push the air repeatedly over it. Continue until
the volume is constant.

The pinkish solid turns black and the volume of air decreases.
THE ANIMATION WILL START SOON
The copper reacts with about 20% of air, OXYGEN, to produce a new
substance. The remaining, unreactive, 80% is mostly NITROGEN.
THE ATMOSPHERE
ORIGIN
 THE ATMOSPHERE
ORIGIN
During the first billion years of the earth’s existence,
there was intense volcanic activity which released…

GASES - this formed the original atmosphere

WATER VAPOUR - which eventually condensed to form oceans
 THE ATMOSPHERE
ORIGIN
During the first billion years of the earth’s existence,
there was intense volcanic activity which released…

GASES - this formed the original atmosphere

WATER VAPOUR - which eventually condensed to form oceans

The atmosphere was probably...

mainly CARBON DIOXIDE

some WATER VAPOUR
small amounts of METHANE
small amounts of AMMONIA

Since then it has changed considerably

 THE ATMOSPHERE

1
The earth was molten
Any atmosphere
burned away

4½ 4 3 2 1 0
BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO
 THE ATMOSPHERE

2
CARBON DIOXIDE
Volcanic activity plus STEAM and
a little METHANE and
AMMONIA
(A bit like Mars or Venus today)

1 2

4½ 4 3 2 1 0
BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO
 THE ATMOSPHERE

3
WATER VAPOUR
The earth cooled
condensed to form
the oceans.

1 2 3

4½ 4 3 2 1 0
BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO
 THE ATMOSPHERE

4
Atmosphere
Plants began to evolve;
became ‘polluted’
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
with OXYGEN

1 2 3 4

4½ 4 3 2 1 0
BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO
 THE ATMOSPHERE

5
CO2 dissolved in oceans
CARBON DIOXIDE
forming carbonates and also levels went down
got ‘locked up’ in
sedimentary
rocks and fossils fuels

1 2 3 4 5

4½ 4 3 2 1 0
BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO
 THE ATMOSPHERE

6
NITROGEN and
Methane and ammonia
CARBON DIOXIDE
reacted with oxygen
were produced

1 2 3 4 5 6

4½ 4 3 2 1 0
BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO
 THE ATMOSPHERE

7
More NITROGEN
Ammonia converted to
produced and
nitrates by bacteria
ammonia levels
drop

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4½ 4 3 2 1 0
BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO
 THE ATMOSPHERE

8
SOME OXYGEN TURNED INTO Small decrease in
TO OZONE WHICH FILTERED OXYGEN; OZONE
OUT HARMFUL UV RAYS AND
ALLOWED MORE ORGANISMS
layer formed
TO EVOLVE.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

4½ 4 3 2 1 0
BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO
 THE ATMOSPHERE

9 NITROGEN 78%
Today’s atmosphere 4/5
OXYGEN 21% 1/5
+
NOBLE GASES
CARBON DIOXIDE
WATER VAPOUR

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

4½ 4 3 2 1 0
BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO
THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT (1952)
 THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT (1952)
Two scientists, Miller and Urey, tried to recreate the conditions which
may might have occurred around 3 billion years ago.
 THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT (1952)
Two scientists, Miller and Urey, tried to recreate the conditions which
may might have occurred around 3 billion years ago.

They mixed water vapour with ammonia, methane and hydrogen and
passed electric sparks (to represent lightning) through the gases.
 THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT (1952)
Two scientists, Miller and Urey, tried to recreate the conditions which
may might have occurred around 3 billion years ago.

They mixed water vapour with ammonia, methane and hydrogen and
passed electric sparks (to represent lightning) through the gases.

When they analysed the mixture they found that many carbon-based
compounds had formed inside the flask.

Some compounds were amino acids which can be built into proteins.
 THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT (1952)
Two scientists, Miller and Urey, tried to recreate the conditions which
may might have occurred around 3 billion years ago.

They mixed water vapour with ammonia, methane and hydrogen and
passed electric sparks (to represent lightning) through the gases.

When they analysed the mixture they found that many carbon-based
compounds had formed inside the flask.

Some compounds were amino acids which can be built into proteins.

The first life forms (about 3 billion years ago) may have been bacteria
which were able to live on methane and ammonia.

Primordial soup is a mixture of chemicals which may have given rise

to
life on Earth. It can be used to explain how living organisms appeared
on Earth.
 THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT (1952)
Two scientists, Miller and Urey, tried to recreate the conditions which
may might have occurred around 3 billion years ago.

They mixed water vapour with ammonia, methane and hydrogen and
passed electric sparks (to represent lightning) through the gases.

When they analysed the mixture they found that many carbon-based
compounds had formed inside the flask.

Some compounds were amino acids which can be built into proteins.

The first life forms (about 3 billion years ago) may have been bacteria
which were able to live on methane and ammonia.

Primordial soup is a mixture of chemicals which may have given rise

to
life on Earth. It can be used to explain how living organisms appeared
on Earth.
THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT
 THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT

GASES ARE ADDED

H2, CH4, NH3
A SPARK IS
APPLIED TO
THE MIXTURE
OF GASES
WATER
VAPOUR

UNREACTED
GASES ARE
THE GAS RECYCLED
MIXTURE IS
COOLED
WATER IS
HEATED

ANY LIQUID IS
DRAWN OFF
 THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT

GASES ARE ADDED

H2, CH4, NH3
A SPARK IS
APPLIED TO
THE MIXTURE
OF GASES
WATER
VAPOUR

UNREACTED
GASES ARE
THE GAS RECYCLED
MIXTURE IS
COOLED
WATER IS
HEATED

ANY LIQUID IS
DRAWN OFF
 THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT

GASES ARE ADDED

H2, CH4, NH3
A SPARK IS
APPLIED TO
THE MIXTURE
OF GASES
WATER
VAPOUR

UNREACTED
GASES ARE
THE GAS RECYCLED
MIXTURE IS
COOLED
WATER IS
HEATED

ANY LIQUID IS
DRAWN OFF
 THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT

GASES ARE ADDED

H2, CH4, NH3
A SPARK IS
APPLIED TO
THE MIXTURE
OF GASES
WATER
VAPOUR

UNREACTED
GASES ARE
THE GAS RECYCLED
MIXTURE IS
COOLED
WATER IS
HEATED

ANY LIQUID IS
DRAWN OFF
 THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT

GASES ARE ADDED

H2, CH4, NH3
A SPARK IS
APPLIED TO
THE MIXTURE
OF GASES
WATER
VAPOUR

UNREACTED
GASES ARE
THE GAS RECYCLED
MIXTURE IS
COOLED
WATER IS
HEATED

ANY LIQUID IS
DRAWN OFF
 THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT

GASES ARE ADDED

H2, CH4, NH3
A SPARK IS
APPLIED TO
THE MIXTURE
OF GASES
WATER
VAPOUR

UNREACTED
GASES ARE
THE GAS RECYCLED
MIXTURE IS
COOLED
WATER IS
HEATED

ANY LIQUID IS
DRAWN OFF
 THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT

GASES ARE ADDED

H2, CH4, NH3
A SPARK IS
APPLIED TO
THE MIXTURE
OF GASES
WATER
VAPOUR

UNREACTED
GASES ARE
THE GAS RECYCLED
MIXTURE IS
COOLED
WATER IS
HEATED

ANY LIQUID IS
DRAWN OFF
 THE MILLER-UREY EXPERIMENT

GASES ARE ADDED

H2, CH4, NH3
A SPARK IS
APPLIED TO
THE MIXTURE
OF GASES
WATER
VAPOUR

UNREACTED
GASES ARE
THE GAS RECYCLED
MIXTURE IS
COOLED
WATER IS
HEATED

ANY LIQUID IS
DRAWN OFF
CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE
 CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE
THEN
Years ago carbon dioxide got ‘locked up’ in limestone rock which had formed
from the remains of shellfish.

The carbon dioxide also reacted with sea water to produce insoluble
carbonates which formed a sediment and soluble magnesium
hydrogencarbonate and calcium hydrogencarbonate.

Carbon dioxide ended up as the carbon in fossil fuels.

 CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE
THEN
Years ago carbon dioxide got ‘locked up’ in limestone rock which had formed
from the remains of shellfish.

The carbon dioxide also reacted with sea water to produce insoluble
carbonates which formed a sediment and soluble magnesium
hydrogencarbonate and calcium hydrogencarbonate

Carbon dioxide ended up as the carbon in fossil fuels

NOW
Animals and humans produce carbon dioxide through respiration

Plants help in removing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.

This process isn’t enough to balance the extra carbon dioxide produced by the
burning of fossil fuels.

The extra carbon dioxide contributes to global warming as a greenhouse gas.

 CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE

AIR

PHOTOSYNTHESIS CO2 COMBUSTION

OCEANS

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
THE EARTH’S
ATMOSPHERE
THE END

© 2011 JONATHAN HOPTON & KNOCKHARDY PUBLISHING