Carbon dioxide is an inorganic chemical compound with a wide range of commercial uses, from the production of lasers to the carbonation of soft drinks. This compound exists naturally from the Earth's environment, and it is produced in a variety of ways; commercial carbon dioxide is usually derived from the byproducts of industrial processes. This humble gas has become a topic of interest for humans because it is classified among the greenhouse gases, gases which impact the Earth's environment when they reach high concentrations in the atmosphere.
The chemical formula for carbon dioxide is CO2, and it takes the form of two oxygen molecules covalently bonded to a single carbon molecule. This compound is produced through decomposition of organic materials as well as through respiration and combustion. Amounts of carbon dioxide in the environment prior to the advent of the 20th century were kept stable by plants, which were capable of absorbing carbon dioxide as it was produced for use in photosynthesis.
As early as the 1600s, people were beginning to think about carbon dioxide, although they didn't know what to call it. Flemish chemist Jan Baptist van Helmont made observations which hinted at the existence of carbon dioxide, setting the stage for breakthrough work in the 18th century by Joseph Black, a Scottish chemist who identified carbon dioxide and explored many of its properties. By the 1800s, people had succeeded in creating and studying other forms of carbon dioxide, such as its solid form.
At room temperature, carbon dioxide takes the form of an odorless, colorless gas which is incombustible in normal conditions. Carbon dioxide can be forced into a solid form, in which case it is known as dry ice, and the gas is toxic to animals in high concentrations. People who inhale too much carbon dioxide essentially suffocate, ultimately falling into unconsciousness as their oxygen saturation level drops.
This gas is used for things like creating an inert environment for welding, fire suppression, and the carbonation of beverages, among many other things. Carbon dioxide is an important part of the carbon cycle, a complex cycle which is behind many of the mechanics of life on Earth. While this gas is entirely natural, some people began to be concerned about rising carbon dioxide levels towards the end of the 20th century. Scientists became concerned that humans were producing too much carbon dioxide for plants to process, a practice which could potentially lead to serious environmental problems.
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anon304744
Post 41 |
Does carbon dioxide produce particulates? |
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anon193122
Post 35 |
This helped. Thanks. |
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anon180653
Post 33 |
what does carbon do to the earth? |
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anon163432
Post 29 |
I agree with post 28 and post 22 mainly because there hasn't been any noticeable temperature rises in my neighborhood, plus even if the temperature is rising in other areas, that's natural for earth, according to history itself. |
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anon160482
Post 28 |
carbon dioxide is only in minute trace elements in our atmosphere. The atmosphere is composed of 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, less than 1 percent argon and minute traces of several other elements. So carbon dioxide does not cause a problem. --anon 67 |
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anon158554
Post 27 |
Nature -- that's what it is. Trees and plants breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. Humans breathe in the oxygen and breathe out the carbon dioxide. And so it goes. Stop burning down the forests and plant more trees. Problem solved. |
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anon158175
Post 26 |
I use it in small doses to subdue my Parrots when clipping nails, trimming beaks and minor surgery. great stuff. |
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anon157218
Post 25 |
What a lot of baloney. Kept stable in the last century by trees. Were there no volcanic explosions then? |
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anon154673
Post 24 |
I agree with the first part of post 22. other websites will explain why global warming isn't happening. |
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anon153276
Post 22 |
I don't think carbon dioxide is the cause for global warming. Heck! I don't even think there is any global warming. But could it be possible if most of the plant life is killed off in let's say a nuclear war? |
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anon149995
Post 21 |
in reading above it says co2 is an inorganic compound. if something has carbon, doesn't that by definition make it an organic compound? |
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anon149993
Post 20 |
co is carbon monoxide its given off in fuel combustion in car exhaust, furnace, wood stove. co2 carbon dioxide is what we breath out after we take in o2. plants then take in co2 and give back O2 or oxygen. so we need plants to get rid of co2 and give us o2. does anyone know how we get rid of co carbon monoxide. |
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anon144489
Post 18 |
i agree with post 15. plus, i love this website. i will use it every time i need to research things for science class. |
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anon124818
Post 15 |
The classification of Carbon Dioxide as a pollutant is the basis for most of our economic, political and social problems. |
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anon111892
Post 12 |
What is the difference between CO2 and CO |
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anon105481
Post 11 |
i love this website. it really, really, really helped me. thanks a lot and again thank you. |
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anon78973
Post 7 |
this helped me with my project. |
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anon71299
Post 5 |
thanks. This was helpful for my project. |
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anon55283
Post 2 |
Why would you even think of that? |
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stare31
Post 1 |
Carbon dioxide is plant food. |
