Although carbon dioxide is the actual greenhouse gas,...

Although carbon dioxide is the actual greenhouse gas, emissions from the burning of fossil fuels are often reported as gigatons (Gt) of carbon. In 2011 , China emitted 2.7 Gt of carbon while the Unites States released 1.6 Gt of carbon. To what mass in gigatons of $\mathrm{CO}_{2}$ do these amounts of carbon correspond?

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Key Concepts

Stoichiometry and Conversion Factors

This concept involves the use of molecular weight ratios to convert between the mass of an element and the mass of a compound. In this context, the conversion requires multiplying the mass of carbon by the factor derived from the ratio of the molecular weight of carbon dioxide (44) to that of carbon (12).

Molecular Weights

Molecular weight, or molar mass, is the mass of one mole of a substance. Carbon has a molecular weight of 12, while carbon dioxide has a molecular weight of 44. This difference is fundamental in converting the reported mass of carbon to the equivalent mass of CO2.

Greenhouse Gases and Emission Reporting

Although CO2 is the greenhouse gas responsible for trapping heat in the atmosphere, emissions data from fossil fuel combustion are routinely reported as the mass of elemental carbon released. Converting this data to the mass of CO2 is crucial for understanding and communicating the environmental impact of these emissions.

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