The carbon cycle across rock, ocean, air and life

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   Where is most of Earth's carbon stored, by Ari's reading (NASA)?

   • In rocks
   • In the ocean's surface water
   • In plants and animals
   • In the air

2. Read this first

   Carbon's slow path

   Rain, rock, river, sea floor, limestone, volcano.

3. 2.

   How long does carbon take to move through the slow carbon cycle, by Jun's reading (NASA)?

   • About one plant's or animal's lifespan
   • 1 to 2 days
   • 100 to 200 million years
   • 100 to 200 years
4. 3.

   What starts the rock step of the slow cycle, by Luz's reading (NASA)?

   • Wind blows CO₂ deep into the rock
   • Plant roots pull CO₂ straight out of solid rock each spring
   • Volcanoes freeze CO₂ into solid rock
   • Rain with CO₂ forms a weak acid that dissolves rock
5. 4.

   How does carbon in rock return to the air in the slow cycle, by Milo's reading (NASA)?

   • Rivers carry it straight up to the clouds
   • Volcanoes vent CO₂ from rock heated deep underground
   • Limestone melts in the summer sun
   • Plants breathe it out each night in very large amounts

6. A yearly CO₂ wiggle

   Up in northern winter, down in spring and summer.

7. 5.

   How long does carbon take to move through the fast carbon cycle, by Noah's reading (NASA)?

   • About a billion years
   • 100 to 200 million years
   • About the age of Earth
   • About a lifespan
8. 6.

   In photosynthesis, what do plants take in to make sugars, by Pia's reading (NASA)?

   • Limestone and rainwater
   • Methane and soil heat
   • Oxygen and moonlight
   • Carbon dioxide and sunlight
9. 7.

   When does CO₂ in the air climb during the yearly wiggle, by Ren's reading (NASA)?

   • Northern winter, when few plants grow and many decay
   • Spring, when new leaves come out on trees
   • Midday, when the Sun is highest
   • Northern summer, when the most plants are growing fastest

10. Where carbon is and how fast it moves (NASA)

    Part of the cycle	NASA figure
    Carbon stored in rocks	about 65,500 billion metric tons
    Carbon through the slow cycle each year	10 to 100 million metric tons
    Carbon through the fast cycle each year	1,000 to 100,000 million metric tons
    Volcano CO₂ each year	130 to 380 million metric tons
    Human CO₂ each year	about 30 billion tons

11. 8.

    Using the table, how much carbon moves through the fast cycle each year, by Tala's reading (NASA)?

    • About 65,500 billion metric tons
    • 1,000 to 100,000 million metric tons
    • 10 to 100 million metric tons
    • 130 to 380 million metric tons
12. 9.

    Using the table, how much CO₂ do volcanoes emit each year, by Zee's reading (NASA)?

    • 10 to 100 million metric tons
    • 130 to 380 million metric tons
    • 1,000 to 100,000 million metric tons
    • About 30 billion tons
13. 10.

    Using the table, about how much CO₂ do humans emit each year, by Esme's reading (NASA)?

    • About 65,500 billion metric tons
    • 130 to 380 million metric tons
    • About 30 billion tons
    • About 30 million tons