Which list includes true examples of greenhouse gases?

• A. Oxygen and Nitrogen
• B. Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Ozone, and Fluorocarbons
• C. Helium and Neon
• D. Water Vapor, Oxygen

Answer: (B)

Greenhouse gases trap heat in the lower atmosphere by absorbing infrared radiation emitted from Earth's surface, which helps keep the planet warmer than it would be otherwise. The best list includes carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and fluorocarbons because each of these gases absorbs infrared energy and contributes to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide comes from burning fossil fuels and some natural processes; methane is released by enteric fermentation in ruminant animals, fossil fuel extraction, and some agricultural practices; ozone in the troposphere is formed from pollutants and acts as a greenhouse gas, while fluorocarbons (including CFCs and related compounds) are potent, long-lived greenhouse gases used in various industrial applications. The other options don’t fit because oxygen and nitrogen are the major components of air but do not significantly absorb infrared radiation; helium and neon are inert and do not influence the greenhouse effect; water vapor is indeed a greenhouse gas, but that option includes oxygen instead, making the overall set inaccurate as a representative list of true greenhouse gases.