Question

To calculate the amount of buried plant matter needed to produce the amount of gasoline consumed in 2008 in scientific notation, you can use the following steps:

Convert the amount of gasoline consumed in 2008 to scientific notation:
140 billion gallons = 1.4 x 10^11 gallons

Use the ecologist's estimate to find the amount of buried plant matter needed to produce one gallon of gasoline:
196,000 pounds of plant matter = 1.96 x 10^5 pounds

Multiply the amount of gasoline consumed by the amount of plant matter needed per gallon:
(1.4 x 10^11 gallons) x (1.96 x 10^5 pounds/gallon) = 2.744 x 10^16 pounds

So, the amount of buried plant matter needed to produce the gasoline consumed in 2008 is approximately 2.744 x 10^16 pounds.

Answer 1

Calculating CO2 emissions from a 40 L tank of gasoline results in 90 kg, which is about the mass of an average adult human, illustrating the environmental impact of gasoline consumption.

Step-by-step explanation:

The amount of CO2 emissions produced from burning a 40 L tank of gasoline can be calculated by first finding the mass of the gasoline and then applying a factor to estimate CO2 emissions. Given that the density of gasoline is 0.75 kg/L, a 40 L tank would contain 30 kg of gasoline. Using the factor of three ratio that estimates the mass of CO2 produced is approximately three times the mass of the gasoline consumed, we can calculate the CO2 emissions.

First, calculate the mass of the gasoline:

• Gasoline density = 0.75 kg/L
• Volume of gasoline = 40 L
• Gasoline mass = 0.75 kg/L × 40 L = 30 kg

Next, estimate the CO2 emissions using the factor-of-three ratio:

• CO2 emissions = 3 × Gasoline mass
• CO2 emissions = 3 × 30 kg
• CO2 emissions = 90 kg

This result shows that burning a 40 L tank of gasoline produces about 90 kg of CO2, which is comparable to the mass of a typical adult human, offering a striking illustration of the impact of gasoline use on the environment.