Arrange the following atmospheric gases in terms of increasing global warming potential:

(A) CH₄

(B) N₂O

(C) CO₂

(D) SF₆

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct option is A

Explanation of the Correct Option (a): (C), (A), (B), (D)
· Global Warming Potential (GWP) compares how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere relative to CO₂ over a specific time (usually 100 years).
Increasing order of GWP:
· CO₂ (C)
· Reference gas
· GWP = 1
· CH₄ (A)
· Stronger infrared absorption
· GWP ≈ 28–34
· N₂O (B)
· Very long atmospheric lifetime
· GWP ≈ 265–298
· SF₆ (D)
· Extremely potent and persistent
· GWP ≈ 23,500
· Therefore, the correct increasing order is: CO₂ → CH₄ → N₂O → SF₆
Explanation of Other Options
Option (b): (B), (A), (C), (D)
· Incorrect because:
· CO₂ has the lowest GWP and should come first.
Option (c): (A), (B), (D), (C)
· Incorrect because:
· CO₂ cannot be placed last; it has the lowest GWP.
Option (d): (C), (B), (D), (A)
· Incorrect because:
· CH₄ has lower GWP than N₂O and SF₆.
Key Points
· CO₂ → Baseline gas (GWP = 1)
· CH₄ → Higher GWP, shorter lifetime
· N₂O → Very high GWP, long lifetime
· SF₆ → Highest GWP among common gases