Question

a car with clear glass windows is parked in the sun. which statement best explains why the inside of the car gets hot?
light is absorbed by the glass, which transfers heat into the car.
light is reflected by the car’s interior and is trapped by the glass.
light is reflected by the glass, which heats up the air inside the car.
light is transmitted through the glass and then absorbed by the car’s interior, creating heat.

Explanation:

This is the greenhouse effect: short-wavelength sunlight passes through clear glass, is absorbed by the car's interior surfaces, which then emit longer-wavelength infrared radiation (heat) that cannot easily escape through the glass, trapping the heat inside the car. The other options incorrectly describe the mechanism of heat buildup.

Answer:

D. Light is transmitted through the glass and then absorbed by the car's interior, creating heat.