The Carbon CycleWhere carbon goes, and where humans changed the balance.9th GradeCarbon moves continuously between air, living things, oceans and rock.1PHOTOSYNTHESISPlants take CO₂ out of the air and lock it into glucose.2CONSUMPTIONAnimals eat plants; the carbon moves into them.3RESPIRATIONAll living things release CO₂ back into the air.4DECOMPOSITIONDecomposers return carbon from the dead to soil and air.5FOSSILISATION AND BURNINGBuried carbon becomes fossil fuel; burning it releases it again,fast.Fossil fuels took millions of years to store carbon. Burning them returnsit in a couple of centuries.The Carbon Cyclelearnposters.com
The Carbon Cycle — printable science wall chart from LearnPosters. Free vector PDF, US Letter and A4.

The Carbon Cycle, step by step

Carbon moves continuously between air, living things, oceans and rock.

  1. PHOTOSYNTHESISPlants take CO₂ out of the air and lock it into glucose.
  2. CONSUMPTIONAnimals eat plants; the carbon moves into them.
  3. RESPIRATIONAll living things release CO₂ back into the air.
  4. DECOMPOSITIONDecomposers return carbon from the dead to soil and air.
  5. FOSSILISATION AND BURNINGBuried carbon becomes fossil fuel; burning it releases it again, fast.

Fossil fuels took millions of years to store carbon. Burning them returns it in a couple of centuries.

Questions about the The Carbon Cycle poster

What’s on the The Carbon Cycle poster?
5 numbered steps. Carbon moves continuously between air, living things, oceans and rock. PHOTOSYNTHESIS — Plants take CO₂ out of the air and lock it into glucose.; CONSUMPTION — Animals eat plants; the carbon moves into them.; RESPIRATION — All living things release CO₂ back into the air.; DECOMPOSITION — Decomposers return carbon from the dead to soil and air.; FOSSILISATION AND BURNING — Buried carbon becomes fossil fuel; burning it releases it…. Fossil fuels took millions of years to store carbon. Burning them returns it in a couple of centuries.
Who is the The Carbon Cycle poster for?
The Carbon Cycle is filed under 9th Grade (ages 14–15), so it matches what that year asks a child to remember. It is equally useful to an older student revisiting science, and to the parent or teacher answering the question at the kitchen table.
When should you use the The Carbon Cycle poster?
Trace one carbon atom through the whole loop. A wall chart earns its place by being glanceable from where the work is happening, so The Carbon Cycle belongs on the wall where that science work actually happens, within glancing distance, rather than filed away.
What other posters go with The Carbon Cycle?
Levels of Ecological Organisation, The Nitrogen Cycle and Cell Structure & Function sit alongside The Carbon Cycle in the 9th Grade set. Printed together they make a wall rather than a single sheet, which is how a reference set actually gets used.Levels of Ecological OrganisationThe Nitrogen CycleCell Structure & Function
Is the The Carbon Cycle poster free to download and print?
Yes. The Carbon Cycle downloads as a free PDF with no account, no email and no watermark, like everything else in the 9th Grade set. Print as many copies as you like for a home, a classroom, a library or a tutoring group; reselling the file is the only thing the licence rules out.Read the licence
What size does the The Carbon Cycle poster print at?
The Carbon Cycle is a vector PDF laid out for US Letter, and prints on A4 with Fit to page — the same file, no separate download. Because every mark on it is drawn rather than photographed, it stays sharp enlarged to A3, A2 or A1 at a copy shop. Colour carries emphasis only, so a greyscale print of The Carbon Cycle loses nothing.Printing guide

Related posters

Charts that sit alongside The Carbon Cycle on the same wall.

Browse every 9th Grade poster, or start from the full catalogue.