Assume your car consumes 200 gallons of gasoline per year and that gasoline can

Question

Assume your car consumes 200 gallons of gasoline per year and that gasoline can be represented entirely by C_8H_18. Gasoline has a density of 0.85 g/cm^3. Combustion of C_8H_18 leads to CO_2 and H_2O. A) How many kg of CO_2 does your driving contribute to the atmosphere every year? B) How many ppb CO_2 are added to the atmosphere? C) There is a claim that 1 billion vehicles now cruise the planet. If they all are similar consumers as you, how much CO_2 do they add to the atmosphere overall, per year? Approximate number of moles of air in the atmosphere = 1.8 times 10^20 moles.

Explanation / Answer

1 gallon = 3.78541 liters

200 gallons = 200 x 3.78541 L =757.08 L = 757082 ml

gasoline mass = vol x density = 757082 ml x 0.85 g/ml    = 643519.7 g   ( 1 cm3 = 1ml)

gasoline moles mass/ molar mass = 643519.7 /114.23 = 5633.5437 moles

balanced equation of combustion is

C8H18 +   12.5 O2 ----> 8 CO2 + 9H2O

A) CO2 moles produced = 8 x C8H18 moles = 8 x 5633.5437 = 45068.35

CO2 mass in g = moles x molar mass of CO2 = 45068.35 x 44.01 = 1983458 g = 1983.46 kg

B) CO2 in ppb = ( 10^9 x CO2 moles) / moles of air = (10^9 x 45068.35 /1.8x10^20)

                        = 2.5 x 10^ -7 ppb   CO2 is added

C) 1million means 10^6 , hence total ppb CO2 added = 10^ 6 x 2.5x10^ -7 = 0.25 ppb

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse A
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.