The "potency" or "efficiency" of a greenhouse gas is typically measured by its Global Warming Potential (GWP), which quantifies the amount of heat trapped by a certain mass of the gas in the atmosphere over a specified time period (usually 100 years) relative to carbon dioxide (CO2). - CO2 has a GWP of 1. - CH4 (Methane) has a GWP of about 25-30. - N2O (Nitrous Oxide) has a GWP of about 265-298. - CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) have very high GWPs, ranging from thousands to tens of thousands depending on the specific compound (e.g., CFC-12 has a GWP of ~10,200). - C2O (Dicarbon monoxide) is a highly unstable molecule and not a significant greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Comparing the given options based on their GWP, CFCs are significantly more potent greenhouse gases than N2O, CH4, or CO2 (which is not explicitly an option but serves as the baseline).
In terms of efficiency, the most potent greenhouse gas is :
Asked in OPSC CS Prelims 2021 · Topic: Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change (Composition, Sources, and Radiative Forcing of Major Greenhouse Gases (GHGs))
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