Carbon dioxide is called a greenhouse gas because
A) it is used in greenhouses to increase plant growth.
B) it is transparent to heat, but traps sunlight.
C) it is transparent to sunlight, but traps heat.
D) it is transparent to both sunlight and heat.
E) it traps both sunlight and heat.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Carbon dioxide is transparent to sunlight, which means it can enter the Earth's atmosphere easily. However, it can trap heat that gets reflected back by the Earth's surface. This trapped heat then warms up the atmosphere, just like how a greenhouse traps heat and keeps plants warm. This phenomenon is known as the greenhouse effect, and carbon dioxide is one of the main gases that contributes to it.

Carbon Dioxide Is Called a Greenhouse Gas Because