Office for Climate Education
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The greenhouse effect: an experiment with two jars

CM1CM26ème60 minAnglais

Proposé par Camille Démo ✓, Collège Jean-Moulin, Paris · publié le 17 septembre 2026

Understand how the greenhouse effect works through a simple experiment and interpret the measurements.

Énoncé

Equipment

Two identical glass jars, two thermometers, transparent plastic film, a lamp.

Method

Place a thermometer in each jar. Seal jar A with the plastic film and leave jar B open. Light both jars with the lamp for 15 minutes, recording the temperature every 3 minutes.

Questions

  1. Plot both temperature curves against time.

  2. Compare how the temperature changes in the two jars.

  3. What role does the plastic film play? What does it correspond to in the Earth's atmosphere?

  4. Name two greenhouse gases and one human activity that releases them.

Voir le corrigé

  1. The temperature in the sealed jar rises faster and higher.

  2. The film lets light through but holds in the heat: this is the role played by greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, water vapour).

  3. CO2 (burning fossil fuels), CH4 (livestock farming, landfill).

Afficher les 3 questions de quiz

Questions à choix multiples sur le sujet climatique de cet exercice. Indiquez que l'exercice a été fait avec une classe pour les ajouter au quiz de cette classe.

  1. Without the natural greenhouse effect, what would the average temperature at the Earth's surface be?

    • A. About −18 °C ✓
    • B. About 0 °C
    • C. About +15 °C
    • D. About +30 °C

  2. Which of these gases is a greenhouse gas?

    • A. Nitrogen (N₂)
    • B. Oxygen (O₂)
    • C. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) ✓
    • D. Argon (Ar)

  3. True or false: the greenhouse effect is caused only by human activities.

    • A. True
    • B. False ✓

Pour aller plus loin

The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon: without it, the Earth's average temperature would be about −18 °C instead of +15 °C. Today's problem is that human activities are strengthening it.

To find out more

  • CO2 stays in the atmosphere for several centuries; methane (CH4) has a stronger effect but disappears within about ten years.

  • The IPCC reports summarise the state of knowledge every 6 to 7 years.

  • Possible follow-up: measure the temperature of dark ground and light ground in the sun (albedo).

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