🌍 The greenhouse effect and climate

Unit 2 · Matter, forces & life · 10 min

Sunlight warms the ground, which gives off infrared light. Greenhouse gases such as CO₂, methane and water vapour absorb some of it and keep Earth warm. Without them Earth would average about −18 °C; too much of them keeps heating the planet.

Words in this lesson

• 气候 (qìhòu) — climate
• 二氧化碳 (èryǎnghuàtàn) — carbon dioxide

Project: Put two identical jars in the sun, cover one with cling film, and compare temperatures after 30 minutes.