Final answer:
Burning a 40L tank of gasoline produces about 90 kg of CO2, which is more than the average human mass. This represents a substantial environmental impact as CO2 is a key greenhouse gas contributor to climate change.
Step-by-step explanation:
Burning a 40L tank of gasoline, which weighs 30 kilograms (40L x 0.75 kg/L), will produce approximately 90 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2), since each kilogram of gasoline combusts to yield approximately 3 kg of CO2.
The question relates to the chemistry of gasoline combustion and its environmental impact. When gasoline burns, carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is released. This gas contributes to climate change and is a significant issue in environmental science. Given that every litre of gasoline produces 2.5 kg of CO2, and knowing that there are 40 litres in the tank, we multiply 40 by 2.5 to get 100 kilograms. The figure is slightly higher when considering the factor-of-three ratio of CO2 mass to input fuel mass.
As the density of gasoline is 0.75 kg/L, we can calculate the mass of the gasoline in the tank by multiplying 40L by 0.75 kg/L, resulting in 30 kilograms. Multiplying this by 3, as per the factor-of-three ratio, implies the production of 90 kilograms of CO2. The average human body mass is approximately 62 kg, which means the mass of CO2 produced is more than that of an average human, highlighting its significant volume and environmental impact.