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Carbon dioxide (CO2) |
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Carbon dioxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas made up of one atom of carbon and two atoms of oxygen. It is normally found as a gas that is exhaled by living beings and absorbed by plants. It is also given off by the the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, or coal. Another way the gas is produced is through fermentation and cellular respiration. CO2 is 1.5 times as dense as air, it contains two double bonds (with oxygen Ex. O=C=O) and has a linear shape. At tempetatures below -78 C CO2 turns into its solid state; dry ice. Since the industrial revolution CO2 in our atmosphere has increased by about 40%.
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Before people came along and developed ways to make energy and travel the earth was able to keep CO2 balanced. Back then volcanoes were CO2's main producer. |
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Human activity added to the amount of CO2 in the air. When fossil fuels are burned to power factories and make electricity and heat for our homes, or even just drive cars we realase CO2 into the air. |
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This is pretty much how CO2 moves. CO2 is naturally realeased into the air by rotting or burning trees and plants. When released some CO2 stays in the air for a really long time and some gets stored in plants, plankton, seashells, and dissolved in salt water. Eventually the trees and plants will soak the CO2 out of the air and store is as carbon. Its a giant cycle. |
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Plants naturally absorb CO2 but the problem is that humans are using more CO2 than plants can absorb. This is one of the main facotrs of global warming, with the carbon dioxide cycle out of whack CO2 builds up into the atmopshere and reflects infrared radiation back to earth. |
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