The Greenhouse Effect

The Greenhouse Effect Screenshot
  • Greenhouse Effect
  • Greenhouse Gases
  • Heat
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Topics

  • Greenhouse Effect
  • Greenhouse Gases
  • Heat
  • Thermodynamics
  • Climate

Description

How do greenhouse gases affect the climate? Explore the atmosphere during the ice age and today. What happens when you add clouds? Change the greenhouse gas concentration and see how the temperature changes. Then compare to the effect of glass panes. Zoom in and see how light interacts with molecules. Do all atmospheric gases contribute to the greenhouse effect?

Sample Learning Goals

  • Describe the effect of greenhouse gases on photons and temperature
  • Describe the effect of clouds on photons and temperature
  • Compare the effect of greenhouse gases to the effect of glass panes
  • Describe the interaction of photons with atmospheric gases
  • Explain why greenhouse gases affect temperature
Version 3.04

Teacher Tips

Download teacher tips PDF Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking ( PDF ).

Teacher-Submitted Activities

Using PhET in High School Chemistry- all my activities in pdf A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS		 Lab
Demo
HW		 Chemistry
Investigating Climate Change at the Macroscopic and Microscopic Level A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Amy Rouinfar HS
MS		 Lab Earth Science
Greenhouse gases - sense making by observing photons A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro		 Lab
HW		 Chemistry
Earth Science
Physics
Investigating the Greenhouse Effect A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. Traci Radil HS Lab
How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? This contribution was designed by PhET. Sarah Borenstein MS Other Biology
Earth Science
Physics
Chemistry
Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein updated by Diana López MS
HS		 Other Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Earth Science
PhET Sims Aligned to the Chemistry Curriculum This contribution was designed by PhET. Julia Chamberlain UG-Intro
HS		 Other Chemistry
Blackbody Spectrum Simulation Homework This contribution was designed by PhET. Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman UG-Adv
UG-Intro		 HW Physics
Greenhouse Simulation Lesson This contribution was designed by PhET. Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman UG-Intro
HS		 Demo Physics
MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment Elyse Zimmer MS
HS		 Other Physics
Biology
Chemistry
Climate Change - Gas The EduChange Team HS
UG-Intro		 Discuss
Lab
Guided		 Physics
Chemistry
Other
Earth Science
Greenhouse Effect Worksheet Joshua Tan HS
UG-Intro		 HW
Lab
Guided		 Earth Science
Physics
Astronomy
How Does the Earth's Climate Change? Katie Calder K-5 Discuss
Guided
Lab		 Earth Science
PhET Greenhouse Effect Simulations Jack Ganse MS
HS		 Guided
Discuss		 Earth Science
Guided Activity - Greenhouse Effect Timothy Kerr HS
UG-Intro		 HW
Lab
Guided		 Earth Science
Astronomy
Physics
Climate Change - The Gas Phase The EduChange Team MS
UG-Intro
HS		 Discuss
Guided
Lab		 Biology
Chemistry
Earth Science
Greenhouse Gases and Their Effect on Earth's Climate Nathan Quarderer UG-Intro Discuss
Lab
Guided
HW		 Earth Science
The Greenhouse Effect PhET Simulation Lab Matthew Wasilawski HS Lab Biology
Earth Science
The Greenhouse Effect Amy Jordan HS Lab Physics
Greenhouse Effect Guided Worksheet Christine Russo K-5
HS
MS		 Guided Earth Science
NGSS Simulation Alignment/Correlation Matthew Huffine HS
K-5
MS
UG-Intro		 Other
Demo		 Other
Greenhouse Effect: Good or Bad? Nathan Quarderer UG-Intro Lab Earth Science
Greenhouse Kristy Bibbey HS CQs
Greenhouse Effect Basics David Moutoux HS
MS		 Lab Earth Science
The Greenhouse Effect Edina Levnjak MS Lab
Greenhouse Effect Kevin Fairchild MS
HS		 Lab Earth Science
The Greenhouse Effect Lab Greg Van Houten HS Lab Physics
Greenhouse Effect Kayne Spooner HS Lab Earth Science
SECUNDARIA: Alineación PhET con programas de la SEP México (2011 y 2017) This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López MS
HS		 Other Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Mathematics
PRIMARIA: Alineación con programas de la SEP México (2011 y 2017) This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López K-5
MS		 HW
Lab
Demo
Guided
Discuss		 Mathematics
Astronomy
Chemistry
Physics
온실효과 SIM 사용지침서 이화국(Wha Kuk Lee) HS
MS		 Demo
Lab		 Biology
Chemistry
Earth Science
Physics
Efectos antrópicos alejandro hoyos begambre UG-Intro Demo Biology
EFECTO INVERNADERO (JAVA) FRANCISCO CRUZ CANTU HS Lab
Demo
Guided
HW		 Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Greenhouse Effect Guided Worksheet (traducción al español) Ana W. Santiago Figueroa MS Lab
Guided		 Earth Science

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Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Wendy Adams
  • John Blanco (developer)
  • Kelly Lancaster
  • Ron LeMaster (developer)
  • Trish Loeblein
  • Robert Parson
  • Kathy Perkins
  • Carl Wieman
  • Interviewer: Wendy Adams
  • Interviewer: Danielle Harlow
  • Interviewer: Kelly Lancaster
  • Piccolo2D