In this activity, air with increased concentrations of carbon dioxide is produced and the rate of heat loss of that air is compared to today's normal air. This is used to help demonstrate the environmental and economic effects of increased carbon dioxide (CO2) content in the atmosphere. It tests the claim that the Earth's climate is warming due to changes in the relative concentration of gases in the atmosphere. The activity involves students heating and cooling the air in a large glass vessel as a model of the atmosphere. Temperature readings are taken and plotted. This will show the rate of heat loss from "normal" air. Then, the CO2 concentration of the air will be increased and the experiment repeated. The results will demonstrate the effects of increased CO2 on the rate of heat loss from air. Students will then evaluate claims that increasing carbon dioxide will significantly increase the temperature of the atmosphere, and thus lead to climate change, in their lifetime.
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