IB Physics HL B.2 Greenhouse effect questions

Exam-style multiple choice and written questions with full markschemes. Check multiple choice answers straight away, or type, photograph or draw a written answer and get it marked.

Type

Multiple choice Written

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Question 1

Multiple choiceMedium1 mark

A methane source inventory records total emissions of $1.0\times10^5\ \text{kg day}^{-1}$ Wetlands are the only natural source in the inventory and emit methane at $1.5\times10^3\ \text{kg h}^{-1}$ all other emissions are human-made. What is the mass emitted by human-made sources per day?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: B. The human-made emissions are the total emissions minus the natural emissions. Wetlands emit $1.5\times10^3\times24=3.6\times10^4\ \text{kg day}^{-1}$ so the human-made emissions are $1.0\times10^5-3.6\times10^4=6.4\times10^4\ \text{kg day}^{-1}$

A: converts the wetland rate to a daily mass but gives the natural emissions alone.
C: uses the total daily emissions without subtracting the natural contribution.
D: adds the natural contribution to the total instead of subtracting it.

Remember: convert rates to matching time units before combining emissions.

Question 2

Paper 2Medium8 marks

Satellite measurements estimate the daily-mean incident and reflected short-wave solar power per unit area for regions with the same underlying surface type. The two regions measured on day 2 were observed in the same season and had approximately matched cloud cover.

Observation	Latitude	Cloud cover	Incident solar power / W m⁻²	Reflected solar power / W m⁻²
Day 1	30°N	Low	250	50
Day 2	30°N	Extensive	250	90
Day 2	60°N	Extensive	180	81

(a)

Determine the albedo for each of the three observations.

[3]

(b)

Calculate the absorbed solar power per unit area at 30°N on day 1 and day 2.

[2]

(c)

Use your answers to (a) and (b) to explain how changing cloud cover affects the daily albedo and absorbed solar power per unit area at 30°N.

[2]

(d)

State what the comparison between the two day-2 observations suggests about the dependence of albedo on latitude.

[1]

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