Neither
N
2
N
2
nor
O
2
O
2
are greenhouse gases because

BlackTom题目解析

Question

Neither 
N
2
N
2
 nor 
O
2
O
2
 are greenhouse gases because

BlackTom题目解析

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Let's parse the question and each choice carefully to understand why N2 and O2 are not greenhouse gases.
Option 1: 'N2 and O2 react with one another, producing N2O when exposed to infrared radiation.' This statement is factually inaccurate for the simple reason that N2 and O2 do not readily react with infrared radiation to form N2O under normal atmospheric conditions. The formation of nitrous oxide (N2O) requires specific chemical processes and catalysts; in the context of greenhouse gas behavior, the mere exposure to infrared light does not cause a spontaneous, direct reaction between N2 and O2 to yield N2O. Thus, this claim misattributes a reaction pathway and overstates what infrared radiation does to these diatomic molecules.
Option 2: 'their overall electric charge distribution does not change when they vibrate.' This is the key concept. Greenhouse gases interact with infrared radiation by absorbing specific wavelengths corresponding to vibrational modes that create changes in molecular dipole moments. However, N2 and O2 are homonuclear diatomic molecules that have no permanent dipole moment and, crucially, do not develop a changing dipole moment during their vibrational motion. Their charge distribution remains symmetric as they vibrate, so they do not couple strongly to infrared radiation in the way greenhouse gases like CO2 or H2O do. This lack of a changing dipole moment means they do not absorb infrared radiation effectively, which is why they are not greenhouse gases.
Option 3: 'infrared radiation causes their bonds to break.' Infrared absorption by greenhouse gases does not typically involve bond dissociation for these molecules; IR absorption in N2 and O2 would require far higher energies to break the strong triple bond in N2 or the double bond in O2. In the atmospheric context, infrared radiation causes vibrational transitions, not bond scission for these diatomics. Therefore this claim is inconsistent with how IR interacts with N2 and O2 and is incorrect.
Option 4: 'their atmospheric concentrations are not changed by human activity.' While James may try to connect GHGs to human activity, the fundamental physics of why N2 and O2 are not greenhouse gases is not about human-driven concentration changes. Even if human activity altered concentrations of these gases, the reason they are not greenhouse gases is that they do not absorb IR due to lack of a changing dipole moment. The statement conflates concentration dynamics with molecular absorption properties, which is misleading in this context.
Throughout these options, the central misconception to correct is conflating the rules of molecular vibration and dipole moments with the broader topic of greenhouse effect; only molecules capable of developing and altering a dipole during vibration can absorb IR effectively. The correct line of reasoning centers on the symmetry and dipole-change behavior of the molecules during vibrational motion, which is absent for N2 and O2.

Neither N 2 N 2 nor O 2 O 2 are greenhouse gases because BlackTom题目解析

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