Step 1: Concept Clarification:
The objective is to order greenhouse gases from least to greatest based on their total impact on the amplified greenhouse effect (global warming). This impact is determined by both the gas's concentration in the atmosphere and its Global Warming Potential (GWP) per molecule.
Step 3: Detailed Analysis:
Each gas's overall contribution to global warming is the result of its concentration multiplied by its warming efficiency. Current data, such as that from the IPCC, indicates the following approximate contributions:
\[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{(D) Carbon Dioxide (CO\(_2\)): The most significant contributor by a large margin, responsible for over 60-70\% of the warming.} \\ \bullet & \text{(A) Methane (CH\(_4\)): The second-highest contributor, accounting for roughly 16-20\% of the warming.} \\ \bullet & \text{(B) Nitrous Oxide (N\(_2\)O): The third-highest contributor, responsible for approximately 6\%.} \\ \bullet & \text{(C) Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other fluorinated gases: Collectively, these have the lowest contribution among the options, despite their exceptionally high GWP per molecule, due to their very low concentrations.} \\ \end{array}\] When ordered by total contribution from least to most, the sequence is: CFCs \(\rightarrow\) N\(_2\)O \(\rightarrow\) CH\(_4\) \(\rightarrow\) CO\(_2\). This corresponds to the sequence (C), (B), (A), (D).
Step 4: Conclusion:
The correct order of contribution to global warming, from least to most, is (C) CFCs, (B) N\(_2\)O, (A) CH\(_4\), (D) CO\(_2\).