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Greenhouse gases are gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat and contribute to the greenhouse effect, leading to global warming and climate change. These gases allow sunlight to enter the atmosphere but prevent some of the heat from escaping back into space, warming the planet.
The major greenhouse gases include:
Carbon dioxide (CO₂): Produced by burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and respiration.
Methane (CH₄): Released from agriculture (especially livestock), landfills, and natural gas extraction.
Nitrous oxide (N₂O): Emitted from fertilizers, industrial processes, and combustion of fossil fuels.
Ozone (O₃): A greenhouse gas that also forms a protective layer in the stratosphere but contributes to warming in the lower atmosphere.
Water vapor (H₂O): A natural greenhouse gas that amplifies warming effects.
Hydrogen (H₂), on the other hand, is not a greenhouse gas. Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless gas that does not absorb infrared radiation in the atmosphere. While hydrogen can indirectly affect climate by interacting with other gases, it does not trap heat like greenhouse gases do. In fact, hydrogen is often promoted as a clean fuel alternative because its combustion produces only water vapor and no carbon dioxide.
Methane (CH₄): Very potent greenhouse gas, over 25 times more effective than CO₂ in trapping heat.
Nitrous oxide (N₂O): Another strong heat-trapping gas with a long atmospheric lifetime.
Ozone (O₃): Though beneficial in the upper atmosphere, at ground level it acts as a greenhouse gas and pollutant.
Therefore, among the given choices, hydrogen is not a greenhouse gas, making it the correct answer.
✅ Correct Answer: Hydrogen.
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