25 Marks
The Greenhouse Effect Lab
Name:____________
Purpose: To observe the effects of green house gas concentrations on the Earth’s average temperature.
Procedure: Go to http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/greenhouse and use the simulator to collect your data.
Observations::
Record the Earth’s average temperature under the following conditions.. (4 marks)
Time Period
H2O (%
CO2
CH4
N2O
Earth’s Average
relative
(ppm)
(ppm)
(ppm)
Temperature (oC)
humidity)
none
Ice age
Pre-industrial revolution
today
Data:
1. Convert the above data to CO2 equivalents. (4 marks)
Time Period
CO2
CH4 (ppm) x 34
(ppm)
=
none
Ice age
Pre-industrial
revolution
today
N2O (ppm) x 298
=
TOTAL CO2e
Earth’s Average
Temperature (oC)
2. Graph the concentration of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO 2e) in ppm with the Earth’s Average Temperature.
Concentration of carbon dioxide
equivalents (CO2e) in ppm vs Earth’s
avg temperature
Analysis:
1. Which greenhouse gas has the greatest percent
increase from pre-industrial to today? (2 marks)
252.46% increase in CH4
2. Why was a date of 1750 chosen as a time period?
(2 marks)
it was right before the industrial
revolution
3. Why do some (red) infrared photons switch
directions? What is this simulating? (2 marks)
the greenhouse gasses are absorbing and
releasing them.
Conclusion: (3 marks)
in conclusion, the Earth’s average temperature goes up every time period
because of the effects of the greenhouse gas concentrations. the average
temperature never goes down, it goes up every time period. for example in the
ice age the average temperature was 2 degrees C and it when up to 14
degrees C in the pre-industrial revolution
4. What do you expect of the average temperature 50
years from now? Why/ (2 marks)
i think the average temperature will be
around 30 maybe even more because thats
what seems to happen to every time period,
the temperature just keeps going up so i
believe it will continue this trend