Abstract
The Greenhouse Effect was simulated in a laboratory setup, consisting of a heated ground area and two chambers, one filled with air and one filled with air or CO2. While heating the gas the temperature and IR radiation in both chambers were measured. IR radiation was produced by heating a metal plate mounted on the rear wall. Reduced IR radiation through the front window was observed when the air in the foremost chamber was exchanged with CO2. In the rear chamber, we observed increased IR radiation due to backscatter from the front chamber. Based on the Stefan Boltzmann’s law, this should increase the temperature of the air in the rear chamber by 2.4 to 4 degrees, but no such increase was found. A thermopile, made to increase the sensitivity and accuracy of the temperature measurements, showed that the temperature with CO2 increased slightly, about 0.5%.
Highlights
In 1859 John Tyndall [1] published his famous experiments, showing how infrared (IR) radiation was absorbed in “greenhouse” gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), laying the foundation for the theory that increased CO2 in the air leads to a warmer climate
With CO2 in the front chamber, we expect that the IR radiation that is absorbed by the CO2 gas will reduce the amount of IR radiation out the front window
The strength of this IR backscatter can be measured by the IR2 detector. This added energy will heat the rear wall and this will increase the temperature of the air in the rear chamber, according to the Greenhouse Effect
Summary
The one meter long box, with a volume of 150 liters, is made of insulating 5 cm thick Styrofoam plates. The two chambers are separated by a thin EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) plastic film that transmits more than 90% of visual light and IR radiation. The Styrofoam walls of the chambers (except the rear wall) are covered by thin Al-foil. The Al-foil reflects most of the IR radiation and thereby reduces the heat loss through the walls. The length of the rear and front chamber is 30 and 70 cm, respectively. IR radiation was produced by warming a metal plate, painted with heat-resistant, mat black paint, and mounted on the rear wall of the rear chamber. The rear wall, with an area of 0.15 m2, is made from Styrofoam
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