Carbon dioxide (CO2) is frequently in the news because its production from burning fossil fuels causes increased levels of the gas in the Earth's atmosphere.

CO2, along with a range of other greenhouse gases, is often implicated in global warming. But what is its role in the greenhouse effect?

Scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock from EADS Astrium visits the Royal Institution's new Young Scientist Centre to carry out a simple experiment that shows how CO2 traps heat.