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Greenhouse gases and energy flow in the global system

Last updated over 5 years ago

12 questions

Note from the author:

Goes with the Greenhouse Gas pHet. Used to review energy budget in a climate justice class. 

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On whiteboard below represent your current understanding of how light, heat, and matter interact to produce the greenhouse effect. You may use text, drawings, or upload images (hand written responses can be uploaded as images) to represent this understanding. 

Objectives
Describe how greenhouse gases are connected to energy flow in and out of the earth’s system
Define greenhouse gas and describe the properties of greenhouse gases.
Predict how changing the concentration of greenhouse gases changes air temperature

Part A: Explore the Greenhouse Effect simulation
1.   Use PhET Greenhouse Effect simulation embeded below and play with the sim for five minutes.(It can also be found at this link. http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/greenhouse)  Use the whiteboard below to describe or draw what you did and what  patterns you noticed. What variables did you change and how did that change the output? 

Question 1

1.

Ensure the "Greenhouse gas" tab is selected at the top, then use the slider to change the greenhouse gas concentration to none. Ensure that the thermometer is selected. Allow the sim to run for 30 seconds, noticing the change in sunlight photons, infrared photons, and temperature. How do the numbers of photons change over time? Select all that apply.

light photons stay constant

light photons increase

light photons decrease

infrared photons stay constant

infrared photons increase

infrared photons decrease

Question 2

2.

Ensure the "Greenhouse gas" tab is selected at the top, then select "today". Ensure that the thermometer is selected. Allow the sim to run for two minutes, noticing the change in sunlight photons, infrared photons, and temperature. How do the numbers of photons change over time? Select all that apply.

light photons stay constant

light photons increase

light photons decrease

infrared photons stay constant

infrared photons increase

infrared photons decrease

Question 3

3.

What happens to the temperature as the simulation runs? Use evidence such as the change in temperature.

Question 4

4.

Move the slider so there are no greenhouse gases, then let the sim run for 30 seconds to reset the low temperatue. Next select "1750" and select play. Ensure that the thermometer is selected. Allow the sim to run for 2 minutes, noticing the change in sunlight photons, infrared photons, and temperature. How do the numbers of photons change over time? Select all that apply.

light photons stay constant

light photons increase

light photons decrease

infrared photons stay constant

infrared photons increase

infrared photons decrease

Question 5

5.

What happens to the temperature as the simulation runs? Use evidence such as the change in temperature.

Question 6

6.

What is the difference in greenhouse gas concentrations in 1750 and now? How may that impact temperature?

PART B. Photon Absorption. Select the photon absorption tab at the top of the simulation. In this simulation, you will shoot a laser of either a light photon or an infrared photon at different molecules to see how they behave.  

Question 7

7.

What happened to oxygen

The light photon caused it to vibrate

The infrared photon caused it to vibrate

Oxygen didn't vibrate

Question 8

8.

What happened to methane (CH4)

The light photon caused it to vibrate

The infrared photon caused it to vibrate

It didn't vibrate

Question 9

9.

What happened to water (H20)

The light photon caused it to vibrate

The infrared photon caused it to vibrate

It didn't vibrate

Question 10

10.

What happened to carbon dioxide (CO2)

The light photon caused it to vibrate

The infrared photon caused it to vibrate

It didn't vibrate

Question 11

11.

What happened to nitrogen

The light photon caused it to vibrate

The infrared photon caused it to vibrate

It didn't vibrate

Question 12

12.

Based on your evidence from your observations, explain how greenhouse gases heat up the earth. (hint: Think about the energy transfer between the waves and the particles.)