The Greenhouse Effect
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| greenhouse effect/ˈɡriːnhaʊs ɪˈfekt/ | The warming caused when atmospheric gases absorb and emit infrared radiation, reducing the rate at which energy escapes to space. |
| infrared/ˌɪnfrəˈred/ | Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than visible red light and shorter than microwaves. |
| Greenhouse gases/ˈɡriːnhaʊs ˈɡæsɪz/ | Atmospheric gases that absorb and emit infrared radiation and contribute to the greenhouse effect. |
| carbon dioxide/ˈkɑːbən daɪˈɒksaɪd/ | A compound whose molecules contain one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. |
The blanket around Earth
- Earth stays warm enough for life thanks to its atmosphere.
- Certain gases act like a blanket, holding in heat.
- This is the greenhouse effect 温室效应.
- Without it, our planet would be a frozen ball of ice.
How it works
- Sunlight passes through the atmosphere and warms the ground.
- The warm ground gives off heat as infrared 红外线.
- Greenhouse gases 温室气体 absorb this escaping heat.
- They send some back down, keeping the surface warm.
The greenhouse effect is when gases in the atmosphere…
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The greenhouse effect is greenhouse gases trapping heat, keeping Earth warm enough for life.
The natural effect is good
- The natural greenhouse effect is essential for life.
- It keeps Earth about 33 degrees warmer than it would be.
- Water vapour and CO2 have done this for billions of years.
- Without it, the oceans would freeze solid.
How the greenhouse effect warms Earth
Follow sunlight in, and heat trying to escape, as greenhouse gases hold it back.
The natural greenhouse effect is…
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The natural greenhouse effect keeps Earth about 33 C warmer — without it, the planet would freeze.
The main greenhouse gas released by burning fossil fuels is carbon ____.
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Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main greenhouse gas humans add by burning fossil fuels.
The enhanced effect is the problem
- Burning fossil fuels adds extra carbon dioxide 二氧化碳.
- More greenhouse gases trap more heat.
- This "enhanced" greenhouse effect warms the planet too much.
- That extra warming is what drives climate change.
Adding extra greenhouse gases strengthens the effect and warms the planet more.
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More greenhouse gases trap more heat — the "enhanced" greenhouse effect that drives global warming.
Select all greenhouse gases.
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CO2, methane, and water vapour all trap heat. Argon does not absorb infrared, so it is not one.
The greenhouse effect itself is not the problem — it's what makes Earth livable. The problem is the enhanced greenhouse effect: humans adding extra gases (mainly CO2 from fossil fuels) that trap more heat than the natural balance. So don't say "the greenhouse effect is bad" — say the enhanced greenhouse effect from extra emissions is causing the warming.
A car in the sun:
- Sunlight passes through the windows and warms the seats.
- The warm seats give off infrared heat, but the glass traps it inside.
- The car gets far hotter than the air outside.
- Earth's greenhouse gases work like that glass — and adding more is like rolling the windows up tighter.
The greenhouse effect is atmospheric gases trapping the infrared heat Earth gives off, keeping the planet warm. The natural effect is essential — without it Earth would freeze. The problem is the enhanced effect: burning fossil fuels adds extra carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, trapping more heat and driving climate change.