Question
What is a quality of a greenhouse gas?
composed of single atoms, not molecules
transparent to infrared radiation
absorbs and re-emits infrared radiation
produced only by human activity
composed of single atoms, not molecules
transparent to infrared radiation
absorbs and re-emits infrared radiation
produced only by human activity
Answers
GPT-4o mini
A quality of a greenhouse gas is that it **absorbs and re-emits infrared radiation**. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor, have the ability to trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere by absorbing infrared radiation emitted from the Earth's surface and then re-emitting it, which contributes to the greenhouse effect.
The other options listed are not correct characteristics of greenhouse gases:
- Greenhouse gases are typically composed of molecules (e.g., CO₂, CH₄), not single atoms.
- Many greenhouse gases are not completely transparent to infrared radiation; instead, they specifically absorb certain wavelengths.
- Greenhouse gases can be produced by both natural processes and human activities, so they are not exclusively a result of human activity.
The other options listed are not correct characteristics of greenhouse gases:
- Greenhouse gases are typically composed of molecules (e.g., CO₂, CH₄), not single atoms.
- Many greenhouse gases are not completely transparent to infrared radiation; instead, they specifically absorb certain wavelengths.
- Greenhouse gases can be produced by both natural processes and human activities, so they are not exclusively a result of human activity.