Science Common Sense

85 - What is the greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect is like a big blanket around the Earth. It keeps the planet warm by trapping some of the sun's heat.

Imagine you're in a car on a sunny day with the windows closed. The sun's rays heat up the car, and the heat gets trapped inside because the windows don't let it out. That's kind of like what the greenhouse effect does for the Earth.

The Earth's atmosphere is like the car window. It lets sunlight in, but traps some of the heat from the sun, keeping the planet warm enough for us to live. This is a good thing, but too much of this trapping can make the Earth too hot, which is bad for the planet.