Basic Carbon Dioxide Chemistry

• Chemical Formula: CO₂
  
  
• Molecular Weight: 44.01
  
  
• Boiling Temperature at 1 atm (Atmosphere of Pressure): Ha! It does NOT boil at one atmosphere.
  
  
• Temperature of Solid CO₂ ("dry ice"): -78.2° C (195° Kelvin)
  
  
• Common Uses of CO₂:
  

  Refrigeration (dry ice)
  Fire fighting, fire extinguishers
  Carbonated beverages (like soda!)

• Critical Point: 31° C (304° Kelvin) and 73 atm (atmospheres) of pressure. Compare this to water. Water has a critical point of 374° C and 22 atm.
  
  
• CO₂ in the Atmosphere: The Earth's atmosphere is about 360 ppm (parts per million) carbon dioxide gas. This concentration is an increase from 315 ppm in 1960.
  
  
• CO₂ Production: You produce 1/2 lb (pound) of carbon dioxide when you watch television for an hour. You put 20 lb (pounds) of carbon dioxide in the air when you burn 1 gallon of gasoline in your car.
  
  
• Geometry: The CO₂ molecule has a linear shape. This means that the atoms in carbon dioxide are arranged like the picture below. The green circle represents one atom of carbon and the two gray circles represent oxygen atoms.
  



• One Pound: One pound of carbon dioxide gas has the volume of 8.2 cubic feet. You could store two pounds of carbon dioxide in the average kitchen refrigerator.