When one pound of gasoline (made up of compounds of hydrogen and carbon) is burned in an automobile approximately 3 pounds of carbon dioxide, CO2, is given off. Carbon dioxide is one of the gases contributing to global warming. What information from this experiment helps explain how one pound of gasoline can give off approximately 3 times an much CO2?
Carbon is about 1/3 the mass of CO2?(12/44 = 0.3)
why 12/44?
Carbon is about 12 for atomic mass. Molar mass CO2 is about 44.
From the given information, we know that when one pound of gasoline is burned in an automobile, approximately 3 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced. This information demonstrates the combustion process of gasoline, whereby the hydrogen and carbon compounds in gasoline react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide.
To understand why one pound of gasoline gives off approximately 3 times as much CO2, we need to consider the chemical composition of gasoline. Gasoline primarily consists of hydrocarbon compounds, which are composed of hydrogen (H) and carbon (C). These hydrocarbons serve as the fuel source when gasoline is burned.
During combustion, the hydrocarbon molecules in gasoline react with oxygen (O2) from the air. This results in the oxidation of carbon and hydrogen, producing carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The balanced chemical equation for the combustion of a hydrocarbon compound can be represented as follows:
Hydrocarbon (CxHy) + O2 → CO2 + H2O
In this equation, "CxHy" represents the general formula for hydrocarbons, where "x" and "y" are the respective numbers of carbon and hydrogen atoms in the compound.
Now, since gasoline is primarily composed of hydrocarbons, when it undergoes combustion, the carbon atoms in these hydrocarbon molecules combine with oxygen to form carbon dioxide (CO2). The ratio of carbon atoms to carbon dioxide molecules is 1:1.
Therefore, if the combustion of one pound of gasoline produces approximately 3 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2), it implies that the carbon content in the gasoline is responsible for this increase. The carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon molecules of gasoline combine with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, resulting in a net production of 3 times as much CO2 compared to the initial carbon content in gasoline.
In conclusion, the experiment demonstrates that the carbon content in gasoline, when it undergoes combustion, contributes to the release of approximately 3 pounds of carbon dioxide. This knowledge helps us understand the connection between burning gasoline, the carbon dioxide emissions, and its contribution to global warming.