High School

Calculate the carbon dioxide equivalents of the following four emissions of gases:

1. 9.3 tonnes of CO2
2. 0.93 Mg of CH4
3. 93 kg of N2O
4. 0.93 kg of SF6

Rank them in terms of their global warming potential.

Answer :

Final answer:

The carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) of the given emissions are as follows:

  1. 0.93 kg of SF6: 21.204 tonnes CO2e
  2. 0.93 Mg CH4: 29.76 tonnes CO2e
  3. 93 kg of N2O: 26.226 tonnes CO2e
  4. 9.3 tonnes of CO2: 9.3 tonnes CO2e

The emissions are ranked in terms of their global warming potential, with SF6 having the highest CO2e and CO2 having the lowest CO2e.

Explanation:

To calculate the carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) of the given emissions, we need to multiply each emission by its respective global warming potential (GWP). The GWP values are determined by scientific consensus and represent the warming potential of each gas compared to carbon dioxide (CO2) over a specific time period.

Given emissions:

  • 9.3 tonnes of CO2
  • 0.93 Mg CH4
  • 93 kg of N2O
  • 0.93 kg of SF6

Global Warming Potentials (GWP):

  • CO2: GWP = 1
  • CH4: GWP = 28-36 (averaged to 32)
  • N2O: GWP = 265-298 (averaged to 282)
  • SF6: GWP = 22,800

Calculating CO2e:

  • CO2e of 9.3 tonnes of CO2 = 9.3 tonnes x 1 = 9.3 tonnes
  • CO2e of 0.93 Mg CH4 = 0.93 Mg x 32 = 29.76 tonnes
  • CO2e of 93 kg of N2O = 93 kg x 282 = 26.226 tonnes
  • CO2e of 0.93 kg of SF6 = 0.93 kg x 22,800 = 21.204 tonnes

Ranking the emissions in terms of their global warming potential:

  1. 0.93 kg of SF6 (21.204 tonnes CO2e)
  2. 0.93 Mg CH4 (29.76 tonnes CO2e)
  3. 93 kg of N2O (26.226 tonnes CO2e)
  4. .3 tonnes of CO2 (9.3 tonnes CO2e)

Learn more about calculating carbon dioxide equivalents and ranking global warming potential here:

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