How does CO2 trap heat? And why is it that methane traps even more heat?

Question

How does CO2 trap heat? And why is it that methane traps even more heat?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

The Earth is always radiating heat out toward space similar to a black-body. Greenhouse gases like CO2 are gases that can absorb this energy, heating up the atmosphere and re-radiating part of it back down toward the Earth. Thus some energy that would have ended up sent into space instead effectively is reflected back down toward Earth.