Question
Earth's atmosphere originally did not contain oxygen. Explain how the atmosphere gained oxygen.
Step 1
In the early stages of Earth's formation, the atmosphere was primarily composed of gases like methane, ammonia, water vapor, and carbon dioxide, with little to no oxygen. Show more…
Show all steps
Your feedback will help us improve your experience
Amy Jiang and 91 other Chemistry 101 educators are ready to help you.
Ask a new question
Labs
Want to see this concept in action?
Explore this concept interactively to see how it behaves as you change inputs.
Key Concepts
Recommended Videos
How did the biological carbon cycle work on the early Earth, where oxygen gas was essentially absent from the atmosphere and oceans?
No atmosphere on the Moon Why does the Moon have no atmosphere? Explain.
What process first began producing oxygen about 2.7 billion years ago? Why did the oxygen concentration remain low for 300 million years?
Transcript
Watch the video solution with this free unlock.
EMAIL
PASSWORD