Here are the answers for the questions in
Table 1: Student A. You can use these to answer your partner's questions or fill in your worksheet.
1. What happens when we burn fossil fuels?
When we burn fossil fuels, they release carbon dioxide into the air. This gas mixes with the atmosphere and acts like a blanket that traps heat around the Earth.
2. How does a greenhouse gas trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere?
Sunlight passes through the atmosphere and warms the Earth's surface. When the Earth tries to send that heat back out into space, greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide) block it. Instead of escaping, the heat bounces back down to the ground, keeping the planet warm.
3. What happens when the Earth gets warmer?
As more carbon dioxide goes into the atmosphere, it traps even more heat. This causes the Earth's temperature to rise higher and higher, leading to global warming and changes in our climate.
Final Answer:
1. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, which traps heat in the atmosphere.
2. Greenhouse gases let sunlight in but stop heat from escaping back into space, bouncing it back to Earth.
3. More trapped heat causes the Earth's temperature to rise continuously (global warming).
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of greenhouse effect worksheet middle school.
