2007-05-11 07:08:33 · 3 answers · asked by giant_stars 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Most molecules can absorb and reflect certain frequencies of light. Which frequencies they affect has a lot to do with their shape and what atoms are in the molecule - looking closely at the frequencies of energy that a molecule can affect is one of the ways scientists have of telling what they are like!
Carbon dioxide happens to be mostly indifferent to visible light. Sunlight passes right through it with no effect. On the other hand it is VERY effective on frequencies just below the visible. This is the 'infrared' part of the spectrum and has a lot to do with heat.
When just about anything get hot (like when sunlight is shining on it), it starts to give off infrared radiation. But if you have a lot of carbon dioxide hanging around, those molecules are going to just absorb and reflect it back. Instead of the heat energy just floating out into space, it will come back down to earth... possibly to make something else even hotter!
The more carbon dioxide there is, the more this happens. It's not the only gas that has this effect - methane and water vapor do it pretty well too. These three are the major 'greenhouse gases'.
Hope that helps!
2007-05-11 07:20:08 · answer #1 · answered by Doctor Why 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because it traps heat. When sunlight reaches the Earth, some it it bounce back into space and because of our fairly thin atmosphere, it freely does that. But having carbon in the air blocks the passage of sunlight that have bounced off the Earth back into space.
2007-05-11 07:17:12 · answer #2 · answered by michaelangelo 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i kno that CO2 molecules are also from cow burps and passed gass
2007-05-11 07:16:02 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋