🔬 Science · Weather & Climate
Greenhouse Gas Science
Describe the electromagnetic spectrum and distinguish between short-wave solar radiation and long-wave infrared radiation emitted by Earth; explain how greenhouse gas molecules (CO2, CH4, N2O, H2O) absorb and re-emit infrared through molecular vibration while O2 and N2 do not; distinguish the natural greenhouse effect (which makes Earth habitable) from the enhanced greenhouse effect driven by human emissions; evaluate the relative potency of different greenhouse gases
Typical age: 11–12 years
“Can your child explain, in terms of light and energy, why CO2 in the atmosphere traps heat but nitrogen and oxygen — which make up most of the air — don't? What's physically different about CO2 molecules?”
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All done! Great job! 🎉