The greenhouse effect

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Sunlight arrows in, and infrared arrows going up, back down and out to space.

2. 1.

   What is the natural greenhouse effect, by Ari's reading (NASA)?

   • Gases absorb heat from the ground and send some back down
   • Gases store heat for good, so heat stops leaving Earth
   • Clouds reflect sunlight back down so each ray lands twice
   • The ozone layer blocks most sunlight from reaching the ground
3. 2.

   About what is Earth's average surface temperature with the natural greenhouse effect, by Bo's reading (NASA)?

   • About 0 °C
   • About 100 °C
   • About 15 °C
   • About 5,500 °C
4. 3.

   With no atmosphere, how would Earth's surface compare with today, by Kira's reading (NASA)?

   • Warmer, since air blocks sunlight from the ground
   • About 1 °C colder than today
   • About the same, since the Sun alone sets the temperature
   • More than 30 °C colder than today
6. 4.

   Which gases are transparent to outgoing thermal infrared, by Jun's reading (NASA)?

   • Oxygen and nitrogen
   • Carbon dioxide and methane
   • Methane and water vapor
   • Water vapor and carbon dioxide
7. 5.

   Which list names three greenhouse gases, by Luz's reading (NASA)?

   Use the picture in question 4.

   • Nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide
   • Water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane
   • Helium, neon and oxygen
   • Oxygen, nitrogen and argon in the air

8. Use this

   Sunlight arrows in, and infrared arrows going up, back down and out to space.

9. 6.

   Sunlight arrives mostly as visible and near-infrared light. What does Earth's surface give off, by Noah's reading (NASA)?

   • Ultraviolet light, brighter than sunlight
   • Thermal infrared (heat)
   • Visible light, like the Sun gives off
   • Nothing, since the ground just absorbs light
10. 7.

    Why does Earth's surface give off infrared rather than visible light, by Pia's reading (NASA)?

    • Greenhouse gases paint the ground a darker color
    • It is hotter than the surface of the Sun
    • Its infrared is sunlight reflected off clouds
    • It is far cooler than the Sun, about 15 °C

11. 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%

12. 8.

    Using the table, what share of incoming sunlight does Earth's surface absorb, by Tala's reading (NASA)?

    • About 23%
    • About 48%
    • About 29%
    • About 117%
13. 9.

    Using the table, how much infrared does the atmosphere send back down to the surface, by Zee's reading (NASA)?

    • About 12% of incoming sunlight
    • About 100% of incoming sunlight
    • About 29% of incoming sunlight
    • About 59% of incoming sunlight
14. 10.

    Using the table, what share of incoming sunlight is reflected and plays no part in warming, by Esme's reading (NASA)?

    • About 48%
    • About 71%
    • About 100%
    • About 29%