Assignment 8 Part 1

Directions:

1.      Define “light photons” and “infrared photons” 

Light Photons: a particle representing a quantum of light or other electromagnetic radiation.

Infrared Photons: A photon whose frequency is in the infra-red spectrum: about 1 to 400 THz.

1. How are they represented in the simulation?

-          With yellow and red lights

2. If you were talking to a friend about what you observe, how would you explain what is happening with the energy from the sun and the energy from the Earth?

-          Infrared photons leave the earth as energy along with sunlight photons coming from the sun. Greenhouse gases keep these photons in the atmosphere causing rising temps.

2.      In the winter, weather reporters often day “It will be a very cold night because there are no clouds.”

a.       Use the sim to see if you can understand why this could be true.

Clouds can act as ways for photons to stay in the atmosphere, warming the temp.

b.      Describe your observations.

The clouds kept the photons in the atmosphere longer, increasing the temp.

c.       If you were a weather person, how might you use what you understand about clouds and the effect on temperature to predict night-time weather for a summer month like June?

Knowing the sky will be clear, you can inform people that it will be a cooler summer night.

3. How can you make the greenhouse gases act similar to clouds?

a.       Explain what you did. 

I increased the greenhouse gas concentration, creating a smog that acts like clouds.

b.      Give the evidence to prove you made them act alike in a few different situations.

I tested this theory in multiple time periods (1750 and today) and the results were very similar.

4. What do you notice about greenhouse gas effect on photons that is different from clouds? Give examples from situations that you made in the sim to support your ideas.

-          Greenhouse gases caused drastic changes in temperature, while cloud coverage changed the temp by a maximum 15-20 degrees.

5.      Use the Photon Absorption tab to identify which of the molecules provided in the sims are Greenhouse Gases. State microscopic evidence that supports your ideas.

-          Methane, Nitrogen, and CO2 all deterred photons from getting out of the atmosphere at a microscopic level.

Why do you think the inside of a car feels so much warmer than its surroundings on sunny days?

1. How can you use the sim to test your ideas?

-The greenhouse gases can be similar to a car. The heat is trapped inside creating a much warmer temperature than the surrounding area.

2. Describe your experiment and state some evidence that explain the different temperatures on a microscopic level using photons.

-          CO2 was the biggest problem as a greenhouse gas. No other molecule caused photons as many problems getting past than C02