Agriscience - The Carbon Cycle Pretest
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1. Which of the following contains carbon?
a. Plants
b. Animals
c. Air
d. All of the above contain carbon
2. Which of the following DOES NOT contain carbon
a. Plants
b. Animals
c. Air
d. All of the above contain carbon
3. What is happening to the amount of carbon in existence?
a. The amount of carbon is increasing as a result of photosynthesis
b. The amount of carbon is decreasing due to decomposition
c. The amount of carbon in existence stays the relatively the same; however, it can change forms by
forming new molecules with other elements (such as carbon dioxide – CO2)
d. There is no way to know how much carbon exists
4. Plants consume most of their carbon from…
a. The air
b. The soil
c. The water
d. None of the above
5. When a human or animal consumes food, the carbon in that food is most likely to be converted into which of
the following elements?
a. Oxygen
b. Hydrogen
c. Nitrogen
d. None of the above; the carbon will remain carbon
6. Which of the following consumes carbon dioxide (CO2)?
a. Plants
b. Animals
c. Decomposers
d. All of the above
7. Which of the following produces carbon dioxide (CO2)?
a. Plants
b. Animals
c. Decomposers
d. All of the above
8. When a log is thrown on a fire it seems to lose weight; what happens to its physical mass?
a. It disappears
b. It goes into the air
c. It stays the same
d. It becomes energy
9. From where does a log primarily obtain its physical mass when it is growing?
a. From the soil
b. From the water
c. From the air
d. From the seed
10. The Carbon Cycle is best defined as…
a. The process in which carbon changes into different forms of organic and inorganic molecules, including
carbon dioxide, sugar, living tissue, and other complex biological carbon-based molecules
b. The process in which carbon is changed into other elements, including oxygen and hydrogen, but
biological processes such as photosynthesis and decomposition
c. The process in which carbon is consumed and regenerated from other elements such as oxygen,
hydrogen, and nitrogen
d. The process in which carbon-based mass is continually created by living organisms
11. Organisms such as fungi and microbes that are decomposers will affect the carbon cycle by…
a. Consuming carbon, reducing the total amount of carbon that exists in the cycle
b. Releasing carbon into the atmosphere, increasing atmospheric levels of carbon
c. Increasing the amount of carbon in the soil, making it more fertile and valuable for plant growth
d. None of the above; decomposers do not affect the carbon cycle
12. Photosynthesizing plants affect the carbon cycle by…
a. Creating more carbon, increasing the amount of carbon that exists in the cycle
b. Reducing the amount of carbon in the soil, reducing soil fertility
c. Decreasing the amount of carbon that exists in the atmosphere through absorption of atmospheric
carbon
d. None of the above; plants to do not affect the carbon cycle
13. Animals affect the carbon cycle by…
a. Creating more carbon through growth and cellular division, increasing the amount of carbon that exists
in the cycle
b. Consuming carbon, reducing the total amount of carbon that exists in the cycle
c. Releasing carbon into the atmosphere, increasing atmospheric levels of carbon
d. None of the above; animals do not affect the carbon cycle
14. The usage of coal and oil for energy affects the carbon cycle in what way?
a. It increases the amount of carbon in existence
b. It decreases the amount of carbon in existence
c. It increases the amount of atmospheric carbon
d. It does not affect the carbon cycle
15. Which of the following problems is associated with too much atmospheric carbon?
a. The hole in the ozone layer
b. Climate change
c. Sun spots
d. None of the above
16. Why would a farmer want to increase the amount of carbon in the soil?
a. It improves the quality of the soil
b. It increases the amount of soil (over time)
c. It increases the depth of soil (over time)
d. All of the above
17. Increasing the amount of soil that is exposed to oxygen will
a. Increase
b. Decrease
c. Not affect
the amount of carbon in the soil
18. Replacing oil and coal with plant-matter as a source of energy would
atmosphere
a. Increase
b. Decrease
c. Not affect
19. Disturbing the soil will
a. Increase
b. Decrease
c. Not affect
the amount of carbon in soil
20. Disturbing the soil will
a. Increase
b. Decrease
c. Not affect
the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.
the amount of carbon in the