Face the Trace Gas
Provided by: Paleontological Research Institution|Published on: May 24, 2022|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Chemistry, Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics
Authors: Paleontological Research Institution
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this video, students will learn how to calculate the number of carbon dioxide molecules contained in one liter of air.
- The video explains that carbon dioxide is considered to be a trace gas, but it is prevalent enough to absorb a dangerous amount of infrared energy.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students will be able to visualize the number of carbon dioxide atoms in one liter and therefore better understand the rapid rate of warming occurring on Earth.
- The video uses a simple illustration to review the concept of the greenhouse effect.
Additional Prerequisites
- The host speaks quickly, so teachers may want to pause periodically to check for understanding.
- The video is designed for students with high-level math skills.
- Students should be familiar with moles, Avogadro's number, and standard temperature and pressure.
Differentiation
- Math or earth science classes could look up the present carbon dioxide levels and use that to calculate the number of carbon dioxide molecules in a liter of air at this moment. Students could compare the present number with the number from when the video was produced in 2020.
- Teachers could challenge students to use the equations from this video to calculate the concentrations of other greenhouse gases like methane, nitrous oxide, or water vapor.
- Chemistry classes could find out more about Avogadro's number and how it allows scientists to make important measurements and calculations.
- Other resources on this topic include this interactive graph that shows the change in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, this video that explains how humans disrupted the carbon cycle, and this video on the potential for mass carbon capture.
This resource examines what it means to be a "trace gas" and how likely it is for outgoing longwave radiation from the surface of the Earth to hit a carbon dioxide molecule (i.e. the greenhouse effect). Please note that this resource was published in July 2020 and uses an outdated carbon dioxide level. July of 2021 saw 419ppm of CO2. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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