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Sunlight heats the earth, and the earth radiates heat in the form of long wavelengths of infrared light. These activate the greenhouse gas molecules causing them to vibrate and become warm.
(Another contributor wrote:)
Greenhouse gases absorb infrared electromagnetic radiation. As sunlight (mostly UV and visible light) heats the earth, longer wavelengths are radiated or emitted, i.e infrared light. Infrared active molecules, such as carbon dioxide and methane, absorb infrared light causing these molecules to vibrate. High concentrations of these vibrating molecules in the gaseous atmosphere provides for energy transfer (kinetic) due to vibrational collision. Because temperature is simply a measure of kinetic energy in matter, an increase in vibrational energy of gaseous molecules results in a rise in air temperature. The global result is an increase in measured average ambient temperatures.
What else can I help you with?
Which of the following describes the greenhouse effect?
gases in the atmosphere trap the suns warmth
Which part of the earth acts like the glass in a greenhouse and traps heat in?
the reason is that certain gases, dubbed greenhouse gases by us scientists have the ability to trap heat radiation from the suns rays in our atmosphere, heat that would normally dissipate into the vacuum of space. those gases include methane and carbon dioxide. when in suitable amounts those gases are actually beneficial to life on earth as without them the earth would be far too cold to support any interesting life. unfortunately human activities are releasing huge amounts of said greenhouse gases into the air, meaning that more heat rays are trapped and hey presto, the world heats up
How does the atmosphere act like a greenhouse?
the reason is that certain gases, dubbed greenhouse gases by us scientists have the ability to trap heat radiation from the suns rays in our atmosphere, heat that would normally dissipate into the vacuum of space. those gases include methane and carbon dioxide. when in suitable amounts those gases are actually beneficial to life on earth as without them the earth would be far too cold to support any interesting life. unfortunately human activities are releasing huge amounts of said greenhouse gases into the air, meaning that more heat rays are trapped and hey presto, the world heats up
What is Air above earth that is warmed by the reflection of the suns rays and is prevented from easily passing back into space?
greenhouse effect
What is the air above earth that is warmed by the reflection of the suns rays and is prevented from easily passing back into space?
greenhouse effect
Why do you need some greenhouse gases?
Greenhouse gases reflect the suns radiation back against the planet, thus keeping it warm. Too little and we'd get too cold, too much we'd get too warm.
How do greenhouse gases trap heat in earths atmosphere?
Greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere by allowing sunlight to pass through and heat the Earth's surface. The surface then emits infrared radiation, which is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases. This absorption and re-emission process effectively traps heat in the atmosphere, leading to an overall warming effect known as the greenhouse effect.
Does ice reflect suns rays in Antarctica?
It does indeed reflect the suns rays.
How much of the suns rays get absorbed into our atmosphere?
About 17% of the suns rays get absorbed into our atmosphere
Do any outer planets have the greenhouse effect?
Yes, outer planets like Jupiter and Saturn have the greenhouse effect, but it is not as significant as on Earth due to their different compositions and much larger distances from the Sun. These planets have thick atmospheres with gases that trap heat, contributing to their overall temperatures.
Why is helium a greenhouse gas?
Helium is not considered a greenhouse gas because it is chemically inert and does not interact with other atmospheric gases to trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane are able to absorb and emit infrared radiation, contributing to the greenhouse effect. Helium does not have these properties.
Why did temperatures on the moon vary so much?
Because there is no atmosphere the greenhouse effect does not take place. All of the suns rays are reaching the moon with full power.
