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THE GOLDILOCKS PRINCIPLE

Background
On Earth, two molecules, nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2), make up almost 99% of
the volume of clean, dry air. Most of the remaining 1% is accounted for by the inert
gaseous element, argon (Ar). Argon and the tiny percentage of remaining gases are
referred to as trace gases. Certain trace atmospheric gases help to heat up our planet
because they appear transparent to incoming visible (shortwave) light but act as a
barrier to outgoing infrared (long wave) radiation. These special trace gases are often
referred to as "greenhouse gases" because a scientist in the early 19th century
suggested that they function much like the glass plates found on a greenhouse used for
growing plants.
The earth's atmosphere is composed of gases (for example, CO2 and CH4) of just
the right types and in just the right amounts to warm the earth to temperatures suitable
for life. The effect of the atmosphere to trap heat is the true "greenhouse effect."
We can evaluate the effect of greenhouse gases by comparing Earth with its
nearest planetary neighbors, Venus and Mars. These planets either have too much
greenhouse effect or too little to be able to sustain life as we know it. The differences
between the three planets have been termed the "Goldilocks Principle" (Venus is too
hot, Mars is too cold, but Earth is just right).
Mars and Venus have essentially the same types and percentages of gases in their
atmosphere. The atmospheres of both of them are primarily CO2 and they are very
different from the Earth. However, they have very different atmospheric densities.
Venus has an extremely dense atmosphere, so this density combined with the
concentration of CO2 (96.5% of the atmosphere) is responsible for a "runaway"
greenhouse effect and a very high surface temperature.
Mars has almost no atmosphere; therefore the amount of CO2 (95% of the
atmosphere) although similar to that of Venus is not sufficient to supply a warming
effect and the surface temperatures of Mars are very low.
Mars is much further away from the Sun than is Venus.
TASK: GOLDILOCKS PRINCIPLE
Without greenhouse gases, what would happen to the Earth? We will look at Earths two
closest planets to see what is happening in their atmospheres.
Greenhouse gases are invisible molecules in the atmosphere. They let sunlight energy
into the atmosphere, but they are able to trap it so it cant get back out. In the earth,
there are several important greenhouse gases. Table 3 lists the main gases and their
sources.
Our neighboring planets either have too much greenhouse gases or not enough. Mars
and Venus have very similar types of GHGs in their atmospheres, but they are different in
the density of gas.
Venus has an extremely dense atmosphere, so this density combined with the
concentration of CO2 (96.5% of the atmosphere) is responsible for a "runaway"
greenhouse effect and a very high surface temperature.
Mars has almost no atmosphere; therefore the amount of CO2 (95% of the

atmosphere) although similar to that of Venus is not sufficient to supply a warming

effect and the surface temperatures of Mars are very low.
Mars is much further away from the Sun than is Venus.

RECORDING SHEET: Why is Earth the GOLDILOCKS planet?

Temperature and Pressure
Comparison
Surface Pressure Relative to
Earth
Major Greenhouse Gases

VENUS

EARTH

MARS

VENUS

EARTH

MARS

Estimated Temperature if No
Greenhouse Gases (C)
Actual Temperature (C)
Temperature Change Due to
Greenhouse Gases
Atmospheric Concentrations
of Greenhouse Gases (%)
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Nitrogen (N2)
Oxygen (O2)
Argon (Ar)
Methane (CH4)

1. Why is it so much colder on Mars than on Venus, even though they have similar
amounts of carbon dioxide?

2. Name at least two ways that the atmospheres of Venus and Mars are similar to
each other, and one way that both differ from Earth's.

3. Why do we call this the Goldilocks principle?

RESOURCE CARD 1: GOLDILOCKS

VENUS
Too much greenhouse effect:
The atmosphere of Venus, like
Mars, is nearly all carbon dioxide.
But Venus has about 300 times as
much carbon dioxide in its
atmosphere as Earth and Mars do,
producing a runaway greenhouse
effect and a surface temperature
hot enough to melt lead.
The atmosphere on Venus is much
denser than the ones on Mars or
Earth. If we represented the
density with beans, Venus would
have 9000 beans compared to 100
on Earth.

Temperature and Pressure

Comparison
Surface Pressure Relative to
90
Earth
Major Greenhouse Gases
CO

Temperature Change Due to

GHG

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

96.5

Nitrogen (N2)

3.5

-46

Oxygen (O2)

Trace

477

Argon (Ar)

0.007

Estimated Temperature if no
Greenhouse Gases (C)
Actual Temperature (C)

Atmospheric Concentrations of
Greenhouse Gases (%) on Venus

+523

Methane (CH4)

The relative distance from the Sun has some influence on planetary temperature, but the
greenhouse gases and atmospheric density have more of an impact on temperature.
Venus has an extremely dense atmosphere (with a surface pressure 90 times that
relative to Earth's atmosphere). Conversely, Mars has an extremely thin atmosphere
(with a surface pressure less than 1/100th of that relative to Earth's atmosphere).

RESOURCE CARD 2: GOLDILOCKS

MARS
Not enough greenhouse
effect: The planet Mars has a
very thin atmosphere, nearly all
carbon dioxide.
Because of the low atmospheric
pressure, and with little to no
methane or water vapor to
reinforce the weak greenhouse
effect, Mars has a largely frozen
surface that shows no evidence
of life.

Temperature and Pressure

Comparison
Surface Pressure Relative to
0.007
Earth
Major Greenhouse Gases
CO
2

Atmospheric Concentrations of
Greenhouse Gases (%) of Mars
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

95

Nitrogen (N2)

2.7
0.13

Estimated Temperature if No
Greenhouse Gases (C)
Actual Temperature (C)

-57

Oxygen (O2)

-47

Argon (Ar)

Temperature Change Due to

GHG

+10

Methane (CH4)

1.6
0

The relative distance from the Sun has some influence on planetary temperature, but the
greenhouse gases and atmospheric density have more of an impact on temperature.
Mars has an extremely thin atmosphere (with a surface pressure less than 1/100th of
that relative to Earth's atmosphere).

RESOURCE CARD 3: GOLDILOCKS

EARTH
The right amount of
greenhouse effect?
The Earth has small amounts
of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases, but
working together they create
a balanced system that helps
to support life. US!
This model does not take into
account the importance of
water vapor as a greenhouse
gas. Water vapor both helps
warm the planet, when it is in
the form of a gas, and cool
the planet, when it is in a
reflecting cloud.

Temperature and Pressure

Comparison
Surface Pressure Relative to
1
earth
Major Greenhouse Gases
H O,
2

Atmospheric Concentrations of
Greenhouse Gases (%) on Earth
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

0.03

Nitrogen (N2)

78

CO2
Estimated Temperature if No
Greenhouse Gases (C)
Actual Temperature (C)

-18

Oxygen (O2)

21

15

Argon (Ar)

0.9

Temperature Change Due to

Greenhouse Gases

+33

Methane (CH4)

0.002

The relative distance from the Sun has some influence on planetary temperature, but the
greenhouse gases and atmospheric density have more of an impact on temperature.
Venus has an extremely dense atmosphere (with a surface pressure 90 times that
relative to Earth's). Conversely, Mars has an extremely thin atmosphere (with a surface
pressure less than 1/100th of that relative to Earth's).

RESOURCE CARD 4: GOLDILOCKS

Major Greenhouse Gases and their Sources

Greenhouse Gas
Water Vapor (H20)

Main sources
Water in the air as clouds or vapor.

Carbon Dioxide
(CO2)

Burning fossil fuels, deforestation, land use

changes, respiration, volcanic eruption

Methane (CH4)

Decomposition of wastes in landfills,

agriculture (especially rice production),
cattle digestion, manure management

Nitrous Oxide (NO2)

Soil cultivation practices (how we grow

plants) use of fertilizers, burning fossil
fuels, biomass burning.

Chloroflorocarbons
(CFCs)

Human made compound originally made to

use as a coolant in refrigerators and air
conditioners. Now regulated in production
and atmosphere release because of
international agreements to limit use.

RESOURCE CARD 5: GOLDILOCKS

Beans in a Bag Models
Scientists use models to help describe a complex system. Sometimes you need to
simplify the system for the model. These bags contain very different colored beans, but
they all have the same total number of beans. That's not the way it is on the real
planets. Venus has an atmosphere 90 times thicker than Earth's and Mars has an
atmosphere more than 100 times thinner! If you made a bag with 100 beans to represent
Earth's atmosphere, then to show the correct density of the atmosphere, your Venus bag
would have 9000 beans, and your Mars bag would have less than 1 bean!

Bean Bags for Atmosphere Concentration Models

To make the bags of atmosphere, you can use this table to help you. This is to
demonstrate the relative proportions of each gas in the total atmosphere. Each bag or
atmosphere should have 100 beans in it. If you were to simulate the actual amount of
each gas, you would multiply the proportion by the relative amount to Earth (for Venus, X
90; for Mars X 0.6).
Gas
Concentra
tion
CO2
N2
O2
CH4
Ar
Total
Number of
beans
Total in
Atmospher
e

Venus

Earth

Mars

96
3

95
3
1

1
100

1
76
21
1
1
100

2
100

9000

100

0.6