College

How many pounds of carbon dioxide would you prevent from entering the atmosphere in one year if you replaced a 100-watt light bulb with a CFL bulb that uses 32 watts, assuming the fixture is on for 3 hours per day?

Answer :

Answer: 73.596 pounds

Step-by-step explanation:

We know that a kWh is related to emissions of 0.9884 lbs.

Then for the 100-watt light bulb we have.

It is used 3 hours per day, so it consumes 3*100 = 300 Wh

and 1 kWh = 1000 Wh, so 300wh = 0.3 kWh.

Then, in one day, this light bulb produces:

0.3*0.9884 lbs = 0.297 lbs of carbon dioxide.

In one year, it produces:

365*0.297 lb = 108.230 lb

The 32 what light bulb is also used 3 hours per day:

3h*32W = 96 Wh or 0.096 kWh.

In a day, this light bulb produces:

0.096*0.9884 = 0.095 lb of carbon dioxide.

In a year, it produces:

365*0.095 lb = 34.633 lb.

The difference in the year production is:

D = 108.230 lb - 34.633 lb = 73.596 lb.

This means that using the 32 watts bulb prevents, in a year, 73.596 pounds of carbon dioxide to enter in the atmosphere.

Final answer:

Replacing a 100-watt incandescent light bulb with a 32-watt CFL bulb that is on for 3 hours per day can lead to a certain amount of pounds of carbon dioxide prevented from entering the atmosphere in one year.

Explanation:

If you were to replace a 100-watt incandescent light bulb with a CFL bulb that uses 32 watts and is on for 3 hours per day, you can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide prevented from entering the atmosphere in one year.

To do this, first calculate the energy saved per day:

  1. Energy saved per day = (100 watts - 32 watts) x 3 hours = 204 watt-hours

Next, calculate the energy saved per year:

  1. Energy saved per year = 204 watt-hours x 365 days = 74,460 watt-hours

Finally, convert the energy saved to pounds of carbon dioxide using the conversion factor:

  1. Pounds of carbon dioxide prevented per year = Energy saved per year / (1,000 watt-hours per kilowatt-hour) x (0.8887 pounds of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour)

Using the values calculated above, the pounds of carbon dioxide prevented from entering the atmosphere in one year can be determined.