Which one among the following substances is NOT a 'green house' gas ?

Which one among the following substances is NOT a ‘green house’ gas ?

Water vapour

Chlorofluorocarbon

Methane

Nitrogen

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2015

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Nitrogen (N₂) is the most abundant gas in the Earth’s atmosphere, making up about 78%. However, it is not considered a greenhouse gas because its symmetrical diatomic molecule does not absorb and re-emit infrared radiation effectively, unlike gases with three or more atoms (like water vapour, methane) or asymmetrical diatomic molecules (like carbon monoxide) or complex molecules like CFCs.

Greenhouse gases absorb and emit infrared radiation, trapping heat in the atmosphere. Major greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), water vapour (H₂O), and fluorinated gases (like CFCs, HFCs, PFCs, SF₆).

While nitrogen does not directly contribute to the greenhouse effect, nitrogen oxides (like N₂O, which is a powerful greenhouse gas, and NO₂) are significant air pollutants and can be formed from nitrogen and oxygen under high temperatures. However, the question specifically asks about ‘Nitrogen’ (referring to N₂).

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