http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations/sims.php?sim=The_Greenhouse_Effect
Extra Credit Opportunity (5 points in the homework category for a thoughtful 1.5 page discussion of how the program simulates global warming and the results of your experimentation)
Play around with the simulation. I suggest you uncheck the box to show all photons as this will simplify the display.
First experiment with using glass panes instead of greenhouse gases.
Note what the red and yellow dots represent and what happens to the yellow photons when they strike the panes from above and below and what happens to the red photons when they strike the panes from below. Note how as you add more and more panes, new equilibrium temperatures are established. How do the temperatures relate to the number of glass panes?
Next experiment with the different levels of greenhouse gases and different amounts of clouds. How does the simulation show greenhouse gases being related to temperature? What do greenhouse gas levels similar to the ice ages or pre industrial revolution (in 1700s) do to the temperature? What happens if you set the levels at their maximum or minimum?
If you're doing this for extra credit, you need to turn in a written reflection on the results of your experimenting. It should be about a page and a half. It should focus on how the simulation shows the greenhouse effect and how the temperature depends on the levels of the gases. It can also include your reflections on a number of other things too such as your questions or your thoughts about the accuracy of the model and the pros, cons and inherent limitations of a model of this sort.
