Which of these statements about greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect is not correct?
I. Greenhouse gases prevent infrared radiation from escaping through the atmosphere.
II. To absorb infrared radiation, a molecule must have a vibration that produces a change in the dipole moment of the molecule.
III. Argon is the third most abundant species in the atmosphere (after nitrogen and oxygen) , and therefore is a significant greenhouse gas.
IV. The average amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases when fossil fuels are burned, but not when ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH) produced from plants is burned.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Argon is a non-reactive gas and does not absorb or emit infrared radiation, so it is not a greenhouse gas. Nitrogen and oxygen, which make up the majority of the atmosphere, are also not greenhouse gases.

Which of These Statements About Greenhouse Gases and the Greenhouse