Question

What are the two ways in which carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere?

Answer 1

Hint: As we know that carbon dioxide is a colorless gas with a density about 53% higher than that of dry air and also it is the most significant as well as long-lived greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. So here we have to explain the two main ways by which carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere.

Complete answer:
The two ways by which carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere are as follows:-
-Respiration and decomposition of organisms:-
We know that respiration is the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the animal and the environment. Carbon dioxide is generally released when organisms breathe.
Also respiration also takes place at the cellular level as all plants and animals return both carbon dioxide and water vapor to the Earth’s atmosphere. In order to produce the energy, every cell needs to respire and this process is known as cellular respiration. In the process of respiration, energy is produced for organisms by combining glucose with oxygen from the air and releasing carbon dioxide as one of the by-products.
When organisms die, they are usually decomposed by the bacterias present around and this decomposition releases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere or water.
-Burning of fossil fuels and forests:-
Carbon dioxide is also added to the atmosphere by human activities such as burning of hydrocarbon fuels and other fossils. When hydrocarbon fuels such as wood, coal, natural gas, oil etc are combusted using oxygen from the atmosphere, carbon dioxide is released.

Note:
The other ways of addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere are as follows:-
-Weathering of carbonate rocks.
-Production of carbon dioxide from industries as a waste product.
-Eruption of volcanoes.