Don't worry i'm not some crazy a** global warming denialist. I totally believe in the greenhouse effect and that alot of it is caused by human activity. My question is, what is in the chemistry of greenhouse gases that cause them to re-radiate infrared band (heat) radiation into the environment. And also, what are the primary benefits of the greenhouse effect (at normal rates) and what would constitute a non-harmful rate of global warming.
Oww yeah and if you want to see an experiment showing the greenhouse effect, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge0jhYDca…
Oww yeah and if you want to see an experiment showing the greenhouse effect, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge0jhYDca…
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Picture the atoms in a molecule connected to each other by springs. The atoms can vibrate relative to one another. Carbon dioxide has four different possible modes of molecular vibration as explained in link 1 below. There are certain resonant energies associated with each of these vibrations. When a photon of electromagnetic radiation arrives at the molecule with close to the same energy as the resonant energy, it will be absorbed and will set that particular vibration in motion. Later the vibration may cease and the molecule will emit a photon of precisely the same energy. The energy of a photon is determined by its wavelength. It so happens that the energy of three of the carbon dioxide vibrations correspond to infrared radiation at wavelengths of about 1400, 1600 and 2000 nanometers.
Methane has two vibration modes which interact with infrared radiation.
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Similarly water vapor, which has three vibration modes, absorbs infrared at 1400, 1600 and 2000 nanometers.
Methane has two vibration modes which interact with infrared radiation.
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Similarly water vapor, which has three vibration modes, absorbs infrared at 1400, 1600 and 2000 nanometers.