Structure of Atmospheric Gases and Common Carbon Comounds
Introduce the topic through online reading:
- Use a reading that provides an overview of the interaction between infrared radiation and molecules of different atmospheric gases.
- The resoruce is useful to discuss the sources of carbon and its compounds, the molecular structure of some carbon compounds, the phenomenon of greenhouse gases.
- Use the reading to know the sources of carbon and its compounds, the molecular structure of some carbon compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4).
- Get introduced to the topic of atmosphere and its composition. The resource introduces the atmospheric gases (including CO2 and CH4) and their typical percentages in the atmosphere.
Molecular structure of methane
- Read about the phenomenon of sunlight striking the Earth and infrared radiation being emitted from the Earth.
- This reading material also provides an overview of how CO2 and other atmospheric gas molecules interact with electromagnetic radiation.
Molecule of CO2 absorbing an incoming infrared photon
Reading material by UCAR Center for Science Education