Elemental nitrogen makes up about 80 percent of Earth s atmosphere. It is made from two atoms of nitrogen and one atom of oxygen, the two elements which together make up about 99 percent of the atmosphere.
Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas.
Even in trace amounts, it causes the atmosphere to absorb some of the heat radiating back to space from Earth s surface contributing to global warming. Much of the increase is thought to be from human activity. N 2 O is behind a significant portion of the greenhouse warming caused by humans. N 2 O into the atmosphere. It is produced when many fuels are burned including coal, oil, wood, and biomass.