Question

What is the greenhouse effect? Which atmospheric gases are responsible for it?

Answer 1

The greenhouse effect is an atmospheric phenomenon that is associated with the temperature changes that are taking place on the surface of earth. The name of this phenomenon comes from the actual greenhouses built in areas that do not receive sufficient amounts of sunlight for adequate growth of plants.

Complete answer:
Greenhouses are chambers or areas made up of glass that trap the heat and sunlight received from the surroundings for the efficient growth of plants kept inside them. Glass is specifically used for the purpose of trapping heat as it absorbs a large amount of radiation and reflects only a small fraction of it.
Greenhouse effect finds its name based on these greenhouses but is associated with the rising temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. Certain gases perform the same function as that of class and trap the UV radiations and heat received from the sun. As a result the heat that enters the earth’s atmosphere never escapes and keeps increasing the average temperature on the earth’s surface.
A large number of gaseous pollutants and gases that are naturally part of the composition of air act as greenhouse gases and effectively trap heat. These gases are: carbon dioxide, water vapour, nitrous oxides, methane and certain fluorinated gases.

Note:
Carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas that is also responsible for the phenomenon of global warming but another oxide of carbon called carbon monoxide is a major air pollutant and toxic gas but is not a greenhouse gas.