Climate Chemistry: CO₂ & Temperature
Change CO₂ levels and see the greenhouse effect warm the planet.
Drag the CO₂ slider (or press a preset) and watch sunlight come in, infrared heat try to leave, and CO₂ molecules bounce some of it back down. The right-hand graph plots temperature against CO₂ so you can see the whole cause-and-effect curve, not just one snapshot.
About the Climate Chemistry: CO₂ & Temperature
Free greenhouse effect simulation. Change atmospheric CO₂, watch sunlight and infrared radiation, and see how the average surface temperature responds. Built for real-world chemistry, the climate chemistry: co₂ & temperature runs instantly in your browser: change a setting or drag an object and the result updates at once, so you learn by trying things out rather than only reading about them.
Change CO₂ levels and see the greenhouse effect warm the planet. Use it to explore real-world chemistry ideas at your own pace, then check what you found against the key ideas further down this page.
How to use the Climate Chemistry: CO₂ & Temperature
- Use the controls to change CO₂ concentration, Jump to a moment in time, CH₄ concentration. The simulation reacts instantly.
- Pick an option such as Ice age (180 ppm), Pre-industrial · 1850 (280), Today · 2024 (420), 2100, low emissions (450) to switch modes or load an example.
- Where you see a glowing handle, object, weight or atom, drag it with your mouse or finger. Everything responds in real time.
- Watch the readouts and graphs update as you experiment, and compare what you see with the key ideas below.
Things to try
- Compare pre-industrial and today.
- Double the CO₂.
- Watch the IR photons.
- Read the forcing.
Key ideas you can learn
- Greenhouse gases absorb infrared heat that the Earth radiates.
- More CO₂ traps more heat, raising the equilibrium temperature.
- Without any greenhouse effect the Earth would average about −18 °C.
- Different gases trap heat differently: methane (CH₄) traps far more heat per molecule than CO₂ but breaks down in about 12 years, while CO₂ can linger for centuries.
- Feedback loops like melting ice (less sunlight reflected) and more water vapour in warmer air can amplify a small initial warming into a much bigger one.
Where this is used in the real world
Understanding greenhouse gas chemistry is central to climate science and to energy and environmental policy.
Who is this simulation for?
Students, teachers and citizens interested in environmental science, climate and water, who want to see the chemistry behind the headlines.
For teachers: project it on the board, let students predict what will happen, then run it together. For students: change one thing at a time and write down what changes.
Frequently asked questions
How does CO₂ make the planet warmer?
CO₂ molecules absorb infrared radiation leaving Earth and re-emit it in all directions, some of it back downward, which warms the surface.
Is the greenhouse effect bad?
No, it is natural and keeps Earth habitable. The concern is extra greenhouse gases from human activity strengthening it.
Is methane worse than CO₂?
Per molecule, methane traps much more heat than CO₂, but there is far less of it in the atmosphere and it breaks down in roughly a decade, whereas CO₂ persists for centuries. Both matter for different reasons.
Why do small feedback loops matter so much?
A little warming can melt ice (so the surface reflects less sunlight) and let the air hold more water vapour, itself a greenhouse gas. Both effects add extra warming on top of the original cause, amplifying it.
Is the Climate Chemistry: CO₂ & Temperature free to use?
Yes. It is completely free, with no signup, no download and no ads inside the simulation. It runs in your web browser.
Does the Climate Chemistry: CO₂ & Temperature work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. It uses touch as well as the mouse, so you can drag objects with your finger. A larger screen makes the controls easier to see.