Why do they say a gallon of gas contributes 20 pounds of CO 2 when CO 2 is a gas and gasoline is a liquid?

Question

If gasoline as a liquid weighs about 8 pounds per gallon, how does burning it as fuel create more weight (more than double) in CO2 gas?

Answer 1

What bob and blitzkrieg_hatf6's said above is correct; this is just to clarify.

Every carbon atom in the gasoline loses two hydrogen atoms and adds two oxygen molecules. This causes the weight to more than double.

using relative weights
hydrogen weighs 1
carbon weighs 12
oxygen weighs 16

So as gasoline, it weighs 14; as CO2, it weighs 44, speaking relatively. Hopefully, this makes it clear why it weighs more after it is burned.

Answer 2

Not a question. Sure it's a great deal - for Chrysler! On top of it being an attractive (-looking) incentive for people who can't do math, a great many of those folks are looking for a more economical vehicle to drive. Advantage again, Chrysler. If those people don't burn all 1800 gallons, then Chrysler isn't out any money. They won't think to carry gas cans. It almost doesn't matter what the price of gas does - Chrysler's people have looked at the numbers and they're confident that even if it goes to $5, they come out ahead. Make a tougher deal. Don't use that incentive in your bargaining.

Answer 3

C8h18 is octane, the pure petrol
simply look at this way,

2 C8H18 + 25 O2 = 18 H2O + 16 CO2

Answer 4

Because in burning it combines with oxygen in the air. That increases the weight.

Answer 5

so we are decreasing the weight of the planet and increasing the weight of our atmosphere.