Fossil fuel consumption in the U.S. is: 5 x 106 barrels of oil per day (139 kg/barrel), with approximate composition CH2 109 tons of coal per year (1 ton = 1,000 kg) with coal containing about 50% carbon 25 x 1012 cubic feet of natural gas per year (28.3 liters/cu ft) of approximate composition CH4 a. Assuming all carbon is converted to CO2, how many kilograms of CO2 are generated by Americans in one year? (Calculation tip: each "mole" of oil with composition CH2 will have molar mass 14, and generate a mole of CO2, with molar mass 44. So each kg of oil will generate 44/14 kg of CO2, or 3.14 kgCO2. Likewise, each "mole" of natural gas with molar mass 16, will generate 44 kg of CO2, so each kg of natural gas will generate 44/16 kg of CO2, or 2.75 kg of CO2, etc.) b. Atmospheric pressure can be used to calculate the mass of the atmosphere over any given area. The area of the continental U.S. is about 8 x 106 km2, and the mass of atmosphere is about 1 kg per cm2 of surface. If all of the CO2 calculated in part A were to remain over the surface of the U.S., what new mass percent of CO2 would this contribute to the atmosphere?
Fossil fuel consumption in the U.S. is: 5 x 106 barrels of oil per day (139 kg/barrel), with approximate composition CH2 109 tons of coal per year (1 ton = 1,000 kg) with coal containing about 50% carbon 25 x 1012 cubic feet of natural gas per year (28.3 liters/cu ft) of approximate composition CH4 a. Assuming all carbon is converted to CO2, how many kilograms of CO2 are generated by Americans in one year? (Calculation tip: each "mole" of oil with composition CH2 will have molar mass 14, and generate a mole of CO2, with molar mass 44. So each kg of oil will generate 44/14 kg of CO2, or 3.14 kgCO2. Likewise, each "mole" of natural gas with molar mass 16, will generate 44 kg of CO2, so each kg of natural gas will generate 44/16 kg of CO2, or 2.75 kg of CO2, etc.) b. Atmospheric pressure can be used to calculate the mass of the atmosphere over any given area. The area of the continental U.S. is about 8 x 106 km2, and the mass of atmosphere is about 1 kg per cm2 of surface. If all of the CO2 calculated in part A were to remain over the surface of the U.S., what new mass percent of CO2 would this contribute to the atmosphere?
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