Carbon dioxide

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/carbon-dioxide

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the chemical formula?CO2
2. What is the pre-industrial atmospheric concentration?Approximately 280 ppm
3. What is carbon dioxide and why is it important for plants?Carbon dioxide is a gas made of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. Plants use it with sunlight to make food and release oxygen.
4. Why does carbon dioxide trap heat in the atmosphere?It absorbs infrared light, which keeps Earth warm enough for water and life. Without it, Earth would be too cold.

Covalent Bond: A chemical bond formed by the sharing of electrons between atoms.
Infrared Radiation: A type of electromagnetic radiation that is felt as heat and is absorbed by greenhouse gases.
Carbon Cycle: The biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
Ocean Acidification: The ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of anthropogenic CO2 from the atmosphere.