The Greenhouse Effect
Presentation Version
Select here for access to student version from Virtual Science Teachers website.
Begin
This interactive is brought to you by Virtual Science Teachers. Copyright Virtual Science Teachers 2022
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
As more CO2 and other greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere, the Earth gets warmer. Evidence that the Earth is warming can clearly be seen in Greenland... WHERE THERE'S LOTS OF ICE!
This lesson on the greenhouse effect is all about energy...energy that comes from the sun.
Click on the sun.
The sun is mostly made up of hydrogen atoms.
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
As more CO2 and other greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere, the Earth gets warmer. Evidence that the Earth is warming can clearly be seen in Greenland... WHERE THERE'S LOTS OF ICE!
Under a lot of pressure in the core of the sun, hydrogen atoms fuse together to form helium atoms.
A lot of energy is released as a result of these fusion reactions!
Not quite. Try again.
Continue
Check
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
As more CO2 and other greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere, the Earth gets warmer. Evidence that the Earth is warming can clearly be seen in Greenland... WHERE THERE'S LOTS OF ICE!
Some of that energy travels as sunlight about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) all the way to Earth!
93 million miles
Click on the Earth
- 8 minutes
- 8 seconds
- 8 hours
- 8 days
It takes sunlight about 8 minutesto make that 93 million mile journey all the way to Earth.
Continue
Check
Not quite. Try again.
The sunlight provides the energy needed for all life on Earth to live and grow.
Click on the plant.
Sunlight also warms the Earth, keeping it from completely freezing over.
Click on that amazing ball of life-enabling energy.
Oh...and we can't forget that the atmosphere also plays a huge role in keeping the Earth at just the right temperatures that life can thrive.
Click on the atmosphere.
The atmosphere (air) is made of about 78% nitrogen gas (N2), 21% oxygen gas (O2), and 1% argon gas.
Ar
Click on one of the Nitrogen Gas (N2) molecules.
What is an atmosphere? What is the atmosphere made of?
The atmosphere also contains a very tiny percentage of other gases, such as methane, water vapor, and carbon dioxide.
Ar
sunlight
Click on the carbon dioxide (CO2) molecule.
Ooh ooh! Studying the composition of the atmosphere (air) is a perfect time to use a pie chart!
Pie charts are useful when comparing parts of a whole.
The Composition of Air
Argon Gas (Ar) 0.93%
Ar
Nitrogen Gas (N2) 78.09%
0.03% Other Gases to include Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4)
Oxygen Gas (O2) 20.95%
Well done! Click here.
Drag the labels so they correctly show the composition of air on the pie chart. When the labels are correctly placed, a message will appear.
The gases that make up the atmosphere create the perfect blanket for Earth. They absorb and reflect just the right amounts of energy for life to thrive.
Click on the arrow that represents sunlight reflecting off Earth's atmosphere.
About 29% of sunlight reflects off the atmosphere and back into space.
*NASA
Now let's explore what happens to sunlight that enters Earth's atmosphere!
Click on one of the the arrows that represents sunlight that enters Earth's atmosphere.
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
This image shows sunlight that enters the atmosphere and heats the Earth.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a part of the diagram that represents incoming sunlight energy that heats the Earth.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
The sunight warms the surface of the Earth. As a result of getting warmer, the Earth emits energy in the form of infrared waves (also called infrared radiation).
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a part of the diagram that represents infrared waves.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Some molecules in the atmosphere let infrared waves just pass on by.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a part of the diagram that represents infrared energy leaving Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Some molecules in the atmosphere prevent the infrared waves from escaping. This is similar to how the glass in a greenhouse keeps the inside of the greenhouse warm, even when it's cold outside.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a part of the diagram that represents infrared energy that gets trapped within Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Play with this PhET simulation to better understand how infrared waves (also called infrared radiation) interact with molecules in the atmosphere.
Compare molecules
Turn on
Focus on infrared waves because that is the kind that the Earth radiates when it is warmed.
Click here after using the simulation for a good bit.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Focus on infrared energy becasue that is the kind that the Earth radiates as heat.
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Play with this PhET simulation to better understand how infrared energy interacts with molecules in the atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Compare molecules
Turn on
The most abundant molecules in the atmosphere, nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2), do not absorb infrared radiation. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are known as greenhouse gases because they absorb and re-infrared radiation.
- do not absorb
- absorb and re-emit
- eat
- absorb and re-emit
- do not absorb
- eat
Continue
Not quite. Try again.
Check
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
You got it! Greenhouse gases, like CO2, asborb and re-emit infrared energy that would otherwise go out into space. This helps keep the Earth warm enough for life to thrive.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on an image that represents life.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Just like the glass walls and roof trap within a greenhouse...
some gases in Earth's atmosphere trap heat that keeps the Earth warm. This process of trapping heat within the atmosphere is called the greenhouse effect.
Continue
Check
Not quite. Try again.
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
These three images simulate what happens to infrared radiation with varying levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
High concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases
No greenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases
Click on the image that shows all of the infrared radiation escaping Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Yes! In the first image, all of the infrared radiation leaves Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
High concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases
No greenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases
Earth's temperature would be _________ if there were no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
much higher
much lower
about the same
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
That's correct. The Earth would be MUCH colder without greenhouse gases. What happens if the concentration of greenhouse gases increases to high levels?
High concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases
No greenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases
Click on the image that shows the most infrared radiation getting trapped in Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Earth's temperature would be _________ if there were no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
much higher
much lower
about the same
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
You got it. The third image shows the most infrared radiation being trapped by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
High concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
No geenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
Earth's temperature _________ as greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere.
decreases
does not change
increases
Click on the image that shows all of the infrared energy escaping Earth's atmosphere.
For the past 120 years, humans have been adding huge amounts of greenhouse gases, such as CO2, to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (gas, oil, coal).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
You got it! Earth's temperature increases as greenhouse gases, such as CO2, are added to the atmosphere.
So, what's happening to the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere these days?
Click on the car exhaust.
Click on the image that shows all of the infrared energy escaping Earth's atmosphere.
For the past 120 years, humans have been adding huge amounts of greenhouse gases, such as CO2, to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (gas, oil, coal).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
You got it! Earth's temperature increases as greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Climate.gov
In the year 1960, about 317 of every 1 million particles in the atmosphere were carbon dioxide.
In the year 2021, about 417 of every 1 million particles were carbon dioxide.
Between the years 1960 and 2021, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air increased by about 100 parts per million.
Continue
Not quite. Try again.
Check
Click on the image that shows all of the infrared energy escaping Earth's atmosphere.
As a result of increased levels of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, the temperature of the Earth has been on the rise.
Data source: NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). Credit: NASA/GISS
Data source: NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). Credit: NASA/GISS
The y-axis "Temperature Anomaly" values represent how much warmer or cooler Earth's surface was compared to the average temperature between 1951 and 1980.
Click on the point of the graph that corresponds to the warmest year between 1880 and 2020.
To summarize what you've covered in this interactive, drag the correct words into the paragraph below. When you have all the words in the right spots, you you will be provided the code word.
warm
Enter the code word .
lowercase letters only
CONTINUE
This video was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
GOOD JOB DUDER HEAD. You should go play outside now.
Way to go! You've completed this interactive about the greenhouse effect. Maybe one day you'll be a scientist that studies our changing climate.
This feature is disabled for the teacher presentation.
Teacher: The Greenhouse Effect
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Transcript
The Greenhouse Effect
Presentation Version
Select here for access to student version from Virtual Science Teachers website.
Begin
This interactive is brought to you by Virtual Science Teachers. Copyright Virtual Science Teachers 2022
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
As more CO2 and other greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere, the Earth gets warmer. Evidence that the Earth is warming can clearly be seen in Greenland... WHERE THERE'S LOTS OF ICE!
This lesson on the greenhouse effect is all about energy...energy that comes from the sun.
Click on the sun.
The sun is mostly made up of hydrogen atoms.
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
As more CO2 and other greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere, the Earth gets warmer. Evidence that the Earth is warming can clearly be seen in Greenland... WHERE THERE'S LOTS OF ICE!
Under a lot of pressure in the core of the sun, hydrogen atoms fuse together to form helium atoms.
A lot of energy is released as a result of these fusion reactions!
Not quite. Try again.
Continue
Check
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
As more CO2 and other greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere, the Earth gets warmer. Evidence that the Earth is warming can clearly be seen in Greenland... WHERE THERE'S LOTS OF ICE!
Some of that energy travels as sunlight about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) all the way to Earth!
93 million miles
Click on the Earth
It takes sunlight about 8 minutesto make that 93 million mile journey all the way to Earth.
Continue
Check
Not quite. Try again.
The sunlight provides the energy needed for all life on Earth to live and grow.
Click on the plant.
Sunlight also warms the Earth, keeping it from completely freezing over.
Click on that amazing ball of life-enabling energy.
Oh...and we can't forget that the atmosphere also plays a huge role in keeping the Earth at just the right temperatures that life can thrive.
Click on the atmosphere.
The atmosphere (air) is made of about 78% nitrogen gas (N2), 21% oxygen gas (O2), and 1% argon gas.
Ar
Click on one of the Nitrogen Gas (N2) molecules.
What is an atmosphere? What is the atmosphere made of?
The atmosphere also contains a very tiny percentage of other gases, such as methane, water vapor, and carbon dioxide.
Ar
sunlight
Click on the carbon dioxide (CO2) molecule.
Ooh ooh! Studying the composition of the atmosphere (air) is a perfect time to use a pie chart!
Pie charts are useful when comparing parts of a whole.
The Composition of Air
Argon Gas (Ar) 0.93%
Ar
Nitrogen Gas (N2) 78.09%
0.03% Other Gases to include Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4)
Oxygen Gas (O2) 20.95%
Well done! Click here.
Drag the labels so they correctly show the composition of air on the pie chart. When the labels are correctly placed, a message will appear.
The gases that make up the atmosphere create the perfect blanket for Earth. They absorb and reflect just the right amounts of energy for life to thrive.
Click on the arrow that represents sunlight reflecting off Earth's atmosphere.
About 29% of sunlight reflects off the atmosphere and back into space.
*NASA
Now let's explore what happens to sunlight that enters Earth's atmosphere!
Click on one of the the arrows that represents sunlight that enters Earth's atmosphere.
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
This image shows sunlight that enters the atmosphere and heats the Earth.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a part of the diagram that represents incoming sunlight energy that heats the Earth.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
The sunight warms the surface of the Earth. As a result of getting warmer, the Earth emits energy in the form of infrared waves (also called infrared radiation).
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a part of the diagram that represents infrared waves.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Some molecules in the atmosphere let infrared waves just pass on by.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a part of the diagram that represents infrared energy leaving Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Some molecules in the atmosphere prevent the infrared waves from escaping. This is similar to how the glass in a greenhouse keeps the inside of the greenhouse warm, even when it's cold outside.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a part of the diagram that represents infrared energy that gets trapped within Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Play with this PhET simulation to better understand how infrared waves (also called infrared radiation) interact with molecules in the atmosphere.
Compare molecules
Turn on
Focus on infrared waves because that is the kind that the Earth radiates when it is warmed.
Click here after using the simulation for a good bit.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Focus on infrared energy becasue that is the kind that the Earth radiates as heat.
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Play with this PhET simulation to better understand how infrared energy interacts with molecules in the atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Compare molecules
Turn on
The most abundant molecules in the atmosphere, nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2), do not absorb infrared radiation. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are known as greenhouse gases because they absorb and re-infrared radiation.
Continue
Not quite. Try again.
Check
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
You got it! Greenhouse gases, like CO2, asborb and re-emit infrared energy that would otherwise go out into space. This helps keep the Earth warm enough for life to thrive.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on an image that represents life.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Just like the glass walls and roof trap within a greenhouse...
some gases in Earth's atmosphere trap heat that keeps the Earth warm. This process of trapping heat within the atmosphere is called the greenhouse effect.
Continue
Check
Not quite. Try again.
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
These three images simulate what happens to infrared radiation with varying levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
High concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases
No greenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases
Click on the image that shows all of the infrared radiation escaping Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Yes! In the first image, all of the infrared radiation leaves Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
High concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases
No greenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases
Earth's temperature would be _________ if there were no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
much higher
much lower
about the same
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
That's correct. The Earth would be MUCH colder without greenhouse gases. What happens if the concentration of greenhouse gases increases to high levels?
High concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases
No greenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases
Click on the image that shows the most infrared radiation getting trapped in Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Earth's temperature would be _________ if there were no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
much higher
much lower
about the same
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
You got it. The third image shows the most infrared radiation being trapped by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
High concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
No geenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
Earth's temperature _________ as greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere.
decreases
does not change
increases
Click on the image that shows all of the infrared energy escaping Earth's atmosphere.
For the past 120 years, humans have been adding huge amounts of greenhouse gases, such as CO2, to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (gas, oil, coal).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
You got it! Earth's temperature increases as greenhouse gases, such as CO2, are added to the atmosphere.
So, what's happening to the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere these days?
Click on the car exhaust.
Click on the image that shows all of the infrared energy escaping Earth's atmosphere.
For the past 120 years, humans have been adding huge amounts of greenhouse gases, such as CO2, to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (gas, oil, coal).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
You got it! Earth's temperature increases as greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Climate.gov
In the year 1960, about 317 of every 1 million particles in the atmosphere were carbon dioxide.
In the year 2021, about 417 of every 1 million particles were carbon dioxide.
Between the years 1960 and 2021, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air increased by about 100 parts per million.
Continue
Not quite. Try again.
Check
Click on the image that shows all of the infrared energy escaping Earth's atmosphere.
As a result of increased levels of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, the temperature of the Earth has been on the rise.
Data source: NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). Credit: NASA/GISS
Data source: NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). Credit: NASA/GISS
The y-axis "Temperature Anomaly" values represent how much warmer or cooler Earth's surface was compared to the average temperature between 1951 and 1980.
Click on the point of the graph that corresponds to the warmest year between 1880 and 2020.
To summarize what you've covered in this interactive, drag the correct words into the paragraph below. When you have all the words in the right spots, you you will be provided the code word.
warm
Enter the code word .
lowercase letters only
CONTINUE
This video was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
GOOD JOB DUDER HEAD. You should go play outside now.
Way to go! You've completed this interactive about the greenhouse effect. Maybe one day you'll be a scientist that studies our changing climate.
This feature is disabled for the teacher presentation.