Student Exploration: Carbon Cycle GIZMO (ALL ANSWERS ARE 100% CORRECT) Latest 2023/2024 A+ Score (Actual Exam)

Student Exploration: Carbon Cycle

Vocabulary: atmosphere, biomass, biosphere, carbon reservoir, carbon sink, fossil fuel,

geosphere, greenhouse gas, hydrosphere, lithosphere, photosynthesis

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

In the process of photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and

water (H2O) from the soil. Using the energy of sunlight, plants build molecules of glucose

(C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2).

1. How do plants on Earth affect the amount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere?

Since they consume carbon during photosynthesis, they consume carbon.

2. Animals eat plants and produce carbon dioxide and water. How do animals affect the

amount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere? They release carbon in the atmosphere.

Gizmo Warm-up

The Carbon Cycle Gizmo™ allows you to follow the many

paths an atom of carbon can take through Earth’s systems.

To begin, notice the black carbon atom in the Atmospheric

CO2 area, highlighted in yellow. The glowing blue areas

represent possible locations the carbon atom could go next.

1. From Earth’s atmosphere, where can the carbon atom go

next? The Ocean

2. Click on Land plants and read the description. How did the carbon atom get from the

atmosphere to a plant? From exposed rocks and the atmosphere

3. Select Land animals. How did the carbon atom get from land plants into the animal?

Land animals consume the plants to get carbon.

4. Select Atmospheric CO2. How did the carbon atom get from land animals back to the

atmosphere? Through the process of cellular respiration that occurs in animals.

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Activity A:

Carbon pathways

Get the Gizmo ready:

 Click Reset.

Introduction: Earth can be divided into four systems. The atmosphere is the air above Earth’s

surface. The hydrosphere is composed of all of Earth’s water. The geosphere is the rocky,

non-living part of Earth. The biosphere consists of all living things, including people. Some

scientists use the term “anthroposphere” to describe everything made or modified by humans.

Question: How does carbon move between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and

geosphere?

1. Explore: Use the Gizmo to create a path for carbon that begins and ends in the atmosphere.

Fill in the steps in the path below. Then, label each location with the system it represents.

Finally, summarize very briefly how the carbon atom got to that location.

Carbon path System How it got there

Atmospheric CO2

Atmosphere Atmospheric CO2 comes from volcanoes,

burning fossil fuels, and other sources.

Exposed Rock

Geosphere Plants and exposed rocks consume carbon

through photosynthesis.

Oceanic CO2

Hydrosphere It travels from the plants into the water

when some of it is released

Atmospheric CO2

Atmosphere It goes from the water to the atmosphere

from it being relea