AP®Environmental ScienceCollege BoardExam QuestionsUnit 9: Global ChangeIncreases in the Greenhouse Gases

Increases in the Greenhouse Gases (College Board AP® Environmental Science): Exam Questions

10 mins10 questions
11 mark

Which of the following best explains how climate change will impact the spread of infectious diseases?

  • Climate change will decrease the spread of infectious diseases by reducing suitable habitats for pathogens.

  • Warmer temperatures will eliminate most bacteria and viruses, leading to fewer infectious diseases worldwide.

  • Rising temperatures and increased humidity will expand the range of disease-carrying vectors, such as mosquitoes and ticks.

  • Climate change will have no effect on the spread of infectious diseases, as they are only influenced by human activities.

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21 mark

Which of the following is a primary cause of rising sea levels?

  • The expansion of ocean water as it warms due to increasing global temperatures. 

  • The increased evaporation of seawater, leading to higher humidity levels.

  • The construction of dams and reservoirs, which add more water to the oceans.

  • The increase in ocean salinity, resulting in higher density.

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31 mark

Which of the following is a major impact of rising sea levels?

  • Decreased ocean salinity, making seawater safe to drink.

  • Expansion of beachfront property as water levels rise.

  • Reduced frequency of hurricanes and tropical storms.

  • Increased coastal flooding, leading to displacement of communities

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41 mark

Which of the following describes a positive feedback loop that accelerates global warming?

  • Increased cloud cover blocks sunlight, leading to lower global temperatures.

  • Rising temperatures cause plants to absorb more carbon dioxide, reducing greenhouse gases.

  • Melting ice reduces Earth's reflectivity, causing more heat absorption and further ice melt

  • Warmer temperatures increase snowfall in polar regions, slowing ice melt.

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51 mark

Which of the following greenhouse gases has the highest global warming potential (GWP)?

  • Carbon dioxide (CO₂)

  • Methane (CH₄)

  • Nitrous oxide (N₂O)

  • Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

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61 mark

Which human activity contributes most directly to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels?

  • Nuclear power plant operation

  • Deforestation and fossil fuel combustion

  • Wind energy production

  • Use of electric vehicles

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71 mark

Which greenhouse gas is released primarily from agricultural activities, especially from fertilizers?

  • Carbon dioxide

  • Methane

  • Nitrous oxide

  • Ozone

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81 mark

What role does methane play in climate change?

  • It is less effective than CO₂ at trapping heat

  • It breaks down ozone in the stratosphere

  • It contributes to acid rain

  • It traps more heat per molecule than CO₂ but is less abundant

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91 mark

Which of the following would be a positive feedback loop that accelerates climate change?

  • Planting more forests to absorb CO₂

  • Melting permafrost releasing methane

  • Installing solar panels

  • Using catalytic converters

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101 mark

Which of the following best explains why carbon dioxide is considered the most significant greenhouse gas despite its lower GWP?

  • It is the only greenhouse gas that affects humans

  • It has the strongest ability to trap heat

  • It is the most abundant and long-lived anthropogenic GHG

  • It comes only from agriculture

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