Question

Which one of the following is not a greenhouse gas?
A.\[C{O_2}\]\[\]
B.\[{H_2}O\]
C.\[{N_2}\]
D.\[{O_3}\]

Answer 1

Hint: A greenhouse gas produces heat in the atmosphere as it increases and leads to heating of the earth i.e., rise in the earth's temperature which ultimately leads to Global Warming. Greenhouse gases that are present in the atmosphere trap the radiations and do not allow the heat to leave. The examples of greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, sulphur dioxide, water vapour etc.

Complete answer:
Greenhouse gases are gases present in the atmosphere. They are capable of absorbing the infrared radiation and so are responsible for "greenhouse gases". These gases cause the greenhouse effect by trapping the infrared radiation while they try to escape back into space, these gases do not allow them to do so and which leads to the increase in earth's temperature and then which further is the cause of Global Warming. Global Warming is heating the earth's atmosphere in the long term, which causes change in earth climate in the long term. Some of the greenhouse gases are naturally present in the atmosphere of the earth whereas some of them are the result of human activities in the earth atmosphere. Some of these naturally occurring greenhouse gases are water vapour, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and ozone. Some of the gases resulting from human activities are chlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons. Gases like hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen dioxide are not greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide is a main greenhouse gas, found in car exhaust pipes.
Hence, \[C{O_2}\], \[{H_2}O\], \[{O_3}\] i.e., Carbon dioxide, water vapour, ozone are greenhouse gases which are naturally present in earth's atmosphere but \[{N_2}\] i.e., nitrogen is not a greenhouse gas.

Therefore, the correct answer is option (C).

Note: Greenhouse gases are gases leading to the increase in the earth temperature. Therefore, an increase in greenhouse gases on earth's atmosphere will lead to an increase of the earth's temperature and will also introduce pollution because they contaminate the environment.