The greenhouse effect
Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me
Circle the best answer.
A molecule with infrared arrows going up and down. A student says greenhouse gases trap heat forever, like a lid. Which reply fits NASA, by Jun's reading?
- No; they absorb infrared and radiate it in all directions, some up and some down
- No; they reflect each ray of infrared straight back down to the ground
- Correct; they work like glass that keeps sunlight from ever leaving
- Correct; heat stays in the gases, so Earth keeps warming without any limit
A student says nitrogen must be the main greenhouse gas since it is most of the air. Which reply fits NASA, by Kira's reading?
- No; nitrogen lets infrared pass, while trace gases like CO₂ absorb it
- No; argon is the main greenhouse gas in Earth's air
- Correct; oxygen and nitrogen absorb most of the incoming sunlight
- Correct; the most common gas in the air must absorb the most infrared
Read this first
Use this
Sunlight arrows in, and infrared arrows going up, back down and out to space.
About 340 W/m² of sunlight arrives on average (NASA). At 117%, about how many W/m² does the surface radiate up, by Luz's math?
- About 40 W/m²
- About 398 W/m²
- About 457 W/m²
- About 223 W/m²
About 340 W/m² of sunlight arrives on average (NASA). At 12%, about how many W/m² of infrared escape straight to space, by Milo's math?
- About 4 W/m²
- About 41 W/m²
- About 28 W/m²
- About 352 W/m²
Energy flows as a share of incoming sunlight (NASA)
Flow Share of incoming sunlight Reflected to space 29% Absorbed by the atmosphere 23% Absorbed by the surface 48% Infrared up from the surface 117% Infrared back down to the surface 100% Infrared from the surface straight to space 12% Infrared from the atmosphere to space 59% Using the table, 23% of sunlight is absorbed by the air and 48% by the surface. What share is absorbed in all, and what share reflected, by Noah's math?
- 71% absorbed and 29% reflected
- 71% absorbed and 71% reflected
- 48% absorbed and 52% reflected
- 25% absorbed and 75% reflected
Absorption bands for water vapor and CO₂, with a window near 10 micrometers. Which evidence best shows that CO₂ absorbs outgoing infrared, by Pia's reading (NASA)?
- It is the most abundant gas in Earth's air, more than nitrogen
- Its absorption pattern takes in infrared longer than about 12 to 13 micrometers
- It reflects visible sunlight straight back out to space
- Water vapor already takes in those wavelengths, so CO₂ adds nothing
Energy flows as a share of incoming sunlight (NASA)
Flow Share of incoming sunlight Reflected to space 29% Absorbed by the atmosphere 23% Absorbed by the surface 48% Infrared up from the surface 117% Infrared back down to the surface 100% Infrared from the surface straight to space 12% Infrared from the atmosphere to space 59% Which observation best supports that the atmosphere sends heat back down, by Ren's reading (NASA)?
- The surface gets downward infrared equal to about 100% of incoming sunlight
- The Sun's surface is about 55 °C
- The sky glows green on a clear afternoon
- Clouds reflect about 48% of incoming sunlight back to space, which warms the ground below
Model data: Planet A's air has no greenhouse gases; Planet B's has some. Both get the same sunlight and reflect the same share. Which surface should be warmer, by Tala's reading?
- Planet B, since its gases send infrared back down
- Planet A, since greenhouse gases reflect heat away
- They match, since sunlight alone sets the temperature
- Planet A, since its clear air lets more sunlight through
Sunlight arrows in, and infrared arrows going up, back down and out to space. Which summary of the natural greenhouse effect fits NASA, by Zee's reading?
- Gases block most incoming sunlight before it reaches the ground, so the surface stays near 15 °C
- Sunlight warms the surface; gases absorb its infrared and send some back, keeping it near 15 °C
- Gases reflect infrared like a mirror, sending each ray back down
- Nitrogen and oxygen absorb the surface's heat and send it back down
Energy flows as a share of incoming sunlight (NASA)
Flow Share of incoming sunlight Reflected to space 29% Absorbed by the atmosphere 23% Absorbed by the surface 48% Infrared up from the surface 117% Infrared back down to the surface 100% Infrared from the surface straight to space 12% Infrared from the atmosphere to space 59% Which summary of where surface heat goes fits NASA's budget, by Ari's reading?
- 117% goes up and stays in the air, with nothing escaping to space
- 12% goes up, 29% comes back, and about 48% escapes straight to space
- 117% goes up, 100% comes back, and about 12% escapes straight to space
- 100% goes up, 117% comes back, and about 59% escapes straight to space