Question

During the 1980s, the average emission of carbon from burning fossil fuels on Earth was 5.403 petagrams (Pg) of carbon per year in the form of CO2.
(a) How many kg of C were placed in the atmosphere each year?
] kg

(b) How many kg of CO2 were placed in the atmosphere each year?
kg

(c) A metric ton is 1000 kg. How many metric tons of CO2 were placed in the atmosphere each year?
metric tons / year
If there were 5 billion people on Earth, how many tons of CO2 were produced for each person?

Answer 1

we know

1 pentagram = 10¹⁵ gr

then 5.403 pentagrams = 5.403 * 10¹⁵ gr

1.

1 kg = 1000gr = 10³ gr

then 5.403 * 10¹⁵ gr of carbon = (5.403 * 10¹⁵ gr * 1 kg) / 10³ gr = 5.403 * 10¹² kg of Carbon.

2.

12 grams of carbon is present in 44gr of carbondioxide

then 5.403 * 10¹⁵ gr of carbon is present in (44 gr * 5.403 * 10¹⁵ gr) / 12 gr = 1.9811 * 10¹⁶gr = 1.9811 * 10¹³ kg. CO₂

3.

1000 kg = 1 metric ton

then 1.9811 * 10¹³ kg. CO₂ = 1.9811 * 10¹⁰metric tons of CO₂.

5 billion people = 5 * 10⁹ persons produce 1.9811 * 10¹⁰metric tons of CO₂

then each person produce (1.9811 * 10¹⁰metric tons of CO₂ * 1 person) / 5 * 10⁹ persons = 3.9622 metric tons of CO₂