4 ms·

Are you saying 1 litre (about 0.71 kg) of fuel creates 2.6 kg of CO2? :-)

by bjeds 6y ago

sokoloff 6y ago
When you mix each 1 kg of fuel with around 3 kg of O2 during combustion, why do you think that outcome is impossible?
- olyjohn 6y ago
  On the surface, it seems like you're only burning fuel in an engine. People forget, or may not even know that you're burning mostly air, and the fuel is there to help burn the air. I think this was a legit question to ask, as it's going to be a common misunderstanding for a lot of people.
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thechao 6y ago
You're taking a bunch of `C` in the tank (AMU: 12) and 2x `O` out of the atmosphere (AMU: 16). This means the expected mass goes from 12 -> 44, or an increase of 3.6. My trusty calculator says that takes .71kg to 2.6kg. This is just approximate, since fuel has a bunch of H and S and other crap, so it's not 100% C. But, yes, these figures are in the right ballpark.
- bjeds 6y ago
  You are correct of course. I was intending to make an alchemy joke about a particular phrasing of the parent poster (the part about creating 1 tons of "carbon"), but misread the entire message and commented on the wrong part. :-/ Now the jokes' on me.
  - masta 6y ago
    Ah, my bad, yes obviously it creates ~1ton of CO2, not Carbon. :)
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oppositelock 6y ago
It certainly does. The O2 comes from the air and is heavier than carbon. The carbon comes from the fuel, which is its main content by weight. 1 kg of carbon from fuel + 1.75 kg of O2 from aith = 2.75 kg of CO2.
- hinkley 6y ago
  Meanwhile the hydrogen in a hydrocarbon is somewhere in the range of 1/7th of the weight, so the fact that it all goes up the exhaust pipe in the form of water doesn't really subtract all that much weight from the input. There's more energy in the hydrogen bonds, not the carbon-carbon bonds, right? Just adds insult to injury, if you ask me.
SI_Rob 6y ago
I think some of the replies are missing your little s/carbon/CO2 sleight of hand there :)

Are you saying 1 litre (about 0.71 kg) of fuel creates 2.6 kg of CO2? :-)

by bjeds 6y ago

Are you saying 1 litre (about 0.71 kg) of fuel creates 2.6 kg of CO2? :-)

sokoloff 6y ago

When you mix each 1 kg of fuel with around 3 kg of O2 during combustion, why do you think that outcome is impossible?

olyjohn 6y ago
On the surface, it seems like you're only burning fuel in an engine. People forget, or may not even know that you're burning mostly air, and the fuel is there to help burn the air. I think this was a legit question to ask, as it's going to be a common misunderstanding for a lot of people.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

thechao 6y ago

You're taking a bunch of `C` in the tank (AMU: 12) and 2x `O` out of the atmosphere (AMU: 16). This means the expected mass goes from 12 -> 44, or an increase of 3.6. My trusty calculator says that takes .71kg to 2.6kg. This is just approximate, since fuel has a bunch of H and S and other crap, so it's not 100% C. But, yes, these figures are in the right ballpark.

bjeds 6y ago
You are correct of course. I was intending to make an alchemy joke about a particular phrasing of the parent poster (the part about creating 1 tons of "carbon"), but misread the entire message and commented on the wrong part. :-/ Now the jokes' on me.
- masta 6y ago
  Ah, my bad, yes obviously it creates ~1ton of CO2, not Carbon. :)

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[deleted]

oppositelock 6y ago

It certainly does. The O2 comes from the air and is heavier than carbon. The carbon comes from the fuel, which is its main content by weight. 1 kg of carbon from fuel + 1.75 kg of O2 from aith = 2.75 kg of CO2.

hinkley 6y ago
Meanwhile the hydrogen in a hydrocarbon is somewhere in the range of 1/7th of the weight, so the fact that it all goes up the exhaust pipe in the form of water doesn't really subtract all that much weight from the input. There's more energy in the hydrogen bonds, not the carbon-carbon bonds, right? Just adds insult to injury, if you ask me.

SI_Rob 6y ago

I think some of the replies are missing your little s/carbon/CO2 sleight of hand there :)