The Greenhouse Effect

Question 1

How much of the atmosphere is carbon dioxide ?

Answer 1

0.04%

Question 2

How much of the atmosphere is methane ?

Answer 2

0.0002%

Question 3

What are the three greenhouse gasses ?

Answer 3

Water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane

Question 4

How does energy from the sun travel to the earth ?

Answer 4

Short wave length radiation
Eg ultraviolet light and visible light

Question 5

What happens to the radiation that hits the earth ?

Answer 5

Some of the short wavelength radiation reflects back into space but most of it passes easily through the atmosphere

Question 6

Why does short wave length radiation reflect back and most of it pass easily through atmosphere?

Answer 6

Short wave length radiation does not interact strongly with the gas molecules in the atmosphere

Question 7

How is the energy of the radiation absorbed ?

Answer 7

When it reaches the surface of the earth

Question 8

How does the surface of the earth radiate the energy ?

Answer 8

Long wavelength radiation such as infrared
Some of this interacts with the green house gas molecules in the atmosphere meaning some of it is absorbed

Question 9

What happens to the trapped long wave length radiation ?

Answer 9

Because it’s trapped in the atmosphere it causes the temperature of the atmosphere to increase

Question 10

What does the greenhouse effect do ?

Answer 10

Keep the temperature of earth warm enough to support life
Without it the earth would be too cold to support most life