How do greenhouse gases such as CO2 and N2O contribute to an increase in Earth’s atmospheric temperature?
Greenhouse gases play a crucial role in the Earth's atmosphere and have a significant impact on the planet's temperature. Two common greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O). These gases contribute to the greenhouse effect, which is the trapping of heat in the Earth's atmosphere. But, how exactly do greenhouse gases like CO2 and N2O lead to an increase in Earth's atmospheric temperature?
A. Greenhouse gases interact with infrared photons and reflect them back to Earth’s surface.
This statement is correct. Greenhouse gases interact with infrared photons and reflect them back to the Earth's surface. When sunlight reaches the Earth's surface, it warms the surface. The warm surface then emits infrared radiation, also known as infrared photons. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb these infrared photons and reflect them back to the Earth's surface, causing further warming.
B. Greenhouse gases chemically react with one another, releasing heat in the process.
This statement is not accurate. Greenhouse gases do not chemically react with each other to release heat. Instead, they trap heat in the atmosphere by absorbing and re-emitting infrared radiation.
C. Greenhouse gases agitate visible light photons, increasing the photons’ temperature and motion energy.
This statement is incorrect. Greenhouse gases primarily interact with infrared photons, not visible light photons, to trap heat in the atmosphere. Visible light photons play a different role in the Earth's energy balance.
D. Greenhouse gases generate internal heat through radioactive decay, similar to the core of Earth.
This statement is false. Greenhouse gases do not generate internal heat through radioactive decay. The heat-trapping properties of greenhouse gases come from their interaction with infrared radiation, not from internal heat generation.
How do greenhouse gases contribute to an increase in Earth's atmospheric temperature? Answer: A> Greenhouse gases interact with infrared photons and reflect them back to Earth’s surface. Explanation: The earth naturally maintains the heat energy balance by absorbing a sufficient amount of sunlight energy by the terrestrial land and then reverting back the excess sunlight energy back to the space. The increase in abundance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere results in absorption of sunlight energy which contains infrared photons, this is responsible for increasing the global temperature levels hence, responsible for global warming. These infrared photons are reflected to the earth surface instead of sending back to space. This is responsible for disturbing the heat balance.