Greenhouse effect

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/greenhouse-effect

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the radiative mechanism?Absorption and re-emission of longwave infrared radiation by atmospheric gases
2. What is the primary anthropogenic ghgs?Carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O)
3. Why does Earth stay warm like a blanket?When the sun shines on Earth, the surface warms and sends heat back as infrared light. Gases in the atmosphere absorb that light and send some of it back to the surface, so the planet stays warm enough for life.
4. Who first discovered that the atmosphere can trap heat?French scientist Joseph Fourier first said in 1824 that the air around Earth keeps it warm. Later scientists like Claude Pouillet and Eunice Newton Foote proved it with experiments.

Shortwave Radiation: Electromagnetic radiation with shorter wavelengths, primarily from the sun, including visible light.
Longwave Radiation: Electromagnetic radiation with longer wavelengths, primarily emitted by warm objects like Earth, often perceived as heat.
Anthropogenic: Originating from human activity, particularly in the context of environmental impact.