Bob,
Thanks for the lively response! Before I suggest some experiments you can conduct to see if CO2 does or does not act as a greenhouse Gas I'd like to clarify some terminology. Let's agree to use the scientific definitions.
The meaning of the term scientific theory (often contracted to theory) as used in the disciplines of science is significantly different from the common vernacular usage of theory. In everyday speech, theory can imply an explanation that represents an unsubstantiated and speculative guess, whereas in a scientific context it most often refers to an explanation that has already been tested and is widely accepted as valid.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_theory#Definitions_from_scientific_organizationsThere is no “PROVEN” in science. A theory never becomes a fact. In science we do not have facts or proof, all we have is the best-available, most widely accepted theory at the time. Is gravity a PROVEN or fact? No, it’s a theory.
For any theory to be accepted within most academia there is usually one simple criterion. The essential criterion is that the theory must be observable and repeatable.
The scientific method involves the proposal and testing of hypotheses, by deriving predictions from the hypotheses about the results of future experiments, then performing those experiments to see whether the predictions are valid. This provides evidence either for or against the hypothesis. When enough experimental results have been gathered in a particular area of inquiry, scientists may propose an explanatory framework that accounts for as many of these as possible. This explanation is also tested, and if it fulfills the necessary criteria, then the explanation becomes a theory. Once all of the criteria have been met, it will be widely accepted by scientists as the best available explanation of at least some phenomena. It will have made predictions of phenomena that previous theories could not explain or could not predict accurately, and it will have resisted attempts at falsification. The strength of the evidence is evaluated by the scientific community, and the most important experiments will have been replicated by multiple independent groups.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_theory#:~:text=Scientific%20theories%20are%20testable%20and,%2C%20chemistry%2C%20and%20astronomy).
Buckle up Bob, here comes the good stuff!
CO2 is a green house gas. For 164 years this theory has withstood the test of the scientific method. Here is a description of the experiments conducted in 1856 which you can easily replicate.
https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/202307/history.cfmI'm excited to hear how your hypotheses and experiments work out!
I’m confident that you’ll prove to yourself that CO2 is a green house gas. Then we can go on to the next piece of the puzzle- Where is all this CO2 coming from? (hint- what are the byproducts of combustion
)
GOOD LUCK! I'm excited!
