Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change 7th Edition

Published by McGraw-Hill Education
ISBN 10: 007351117X
ISBN 13: 978-0-07351-117-7

Chapter 22 - Problems - Page 1010: 22.7

Answer

See explanation

Work Step by Step

Plants, using Rubisco, produced oxygen, which slowly increased $O_2$ concentration in the atmosphere and that oxygen would start oxidizing metals. Much of the decay that took place without oxygen produced the carbon-rich fuels we know of.
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