“The Greenhouse Effect.”

Go to http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/greenhouse and click on “The Greenhouse Effect.”

Click, “Reset All” on the bottom right, and add 1 cloud every 20 seconds. Before adding a cloud, observe what is happening to the sunlight and infrared photons

a). Clouds are made of water vapor. Are they keeping our earth cooler or

warmer?

5. The theory of global warming was initially based on scientists’ models of the atmosphere, which found that increasing certain gases in the atmosphere would lead to a small rise in temperature. In years past, many people have disputed this theory, leading to great political controversy over the issue of global warming. Is there now evidence to support this theory? (To answer this question, you may consult online sources, but LIST all your sources, and for each source explain why you think the source is trustworthy.)

6. This computer simulation presents a model of global warming for a simplified Earth. What are some simplifications made by the computer programmers? Could a computer simulation of the Earth ever be 100% accurate?