Name: ____________________________________
Class: _____________
Date: _____________
Self Assessment: The Carbon Cycle
1. Plants remove carbon from the atmosphere by which process?
a) combustion
b) respiration
c) decomposition
d) photosynthesis
2. Which reservoir of carbon is the largest?
a) atmosphere
b) animals
c) plants
d) rocks
3. Which activity described below would result in a decrease in carbon in Earth's atmosphere?
a) riding a bicycle instead of driving a car
b) cutting down trees in a forest
c) composting dead leaves in a garden
d) burning wood for heat in a fireplace
4. Which of the energy sources listed below is a fossil fuel?
a) wind
b) water
c) coal
d) sun
5. How much carbon dioxide does Earth's atmosphere contain?
a) 0.35%
b) 0.035%
c) 35%
d) 3.5%
PAGE 1
Name: ____________________________________
Class: _____________
Date: _____________
Self Assessment: The Carbon Cycle
6. During the process of aerobic respiration, organisms consume _______ and produce ________.
a) nitrogen, carbon dioxide
b) nitrogen, oxygen
c) carbon dioxide, oxygen
d) oxygen, carbon dioxide
7. Which gas is the fourth most abundant in Earth's atmosphere?
a) nitrogen
b) carbon dioxide
c) argon
d) oxygen
8. Which two processes are responsible for the entry and removal of carbon from ecosystems?
a) photosynthesis and respiration
b) fixation and digestion
c) excretion and fixation
d) transpiration and respiration
9. Imagine that there is a forest fire burning in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. What happens to the
amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere as a result?
a) It decreases.
b) It increases.
c) There is no change.
d) It remains the same.
10. Which process listed below takes the longest amount to time to occur?
a) conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) into carbon compounds by oceanic organisms to make shells
b) conversion of dead plants and animals into fossil fuels
c) conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) into oxygen and energy in plants via photosynthesis
d) conversion of live plant tissue into carbon dioxide (CO2 ) via combustion
PAGE 2
ANSWER KEY
1. d
2. d
3. a
4. c
5. b
6. d
ANSWER KEY Page 1
7. b
8. a
9. b
10. b