The answer to John Plowman's "Weighty Problem" (Letters, April 7) lies in the chemical equation for the combustion of petrol.
petrol + oxygen = CO2 + water + energy C8H18 + 12.5O2 = 8CO2+ 9H2O + e 114g 400g 352g 162g + e That is, 114g of petrol produces 352g of CO2, say about three times the weight of petrol.
Taking petrol at about 3.6kg (8lb) a gallon and the three gallons needed for his 100-mile journey, the weight of CO2 produced would be about 32kg. Some of the energy produced drives his car but most is wasted as heat.
-Brian Hunt, Rottingdean
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