Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CO 2.It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature and at normally-encountered concentrations it is odorless. As the source of carbon in the carbon cycle, atmospheric CO 2 is the primary carbon …

Jan 21, 2025 · Carbon dioxide, a colorless gas having a faint sharp odor and a sour taste. It is a greenhouse gas, but it is a minor component of Earth’s atmosphere, formed in combustion of carbon-containing materials, in fermentation, in respiration of animals, and employed by plants in the photosynthesis of carbohydrates.

Apr 9, 2024 · The global average carbon dioxide set a new record high in 2023: 419.3 parts per million. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is now 50 percent higher than it was before the Industrial Revolution.

Carbon dioxide is an end product in organisms that obtain energy from breaking down sugars, fats and amino acids with oxygen as part of their metabolism. This is a process known as cellular respiration. This includes most animals, many fungi and some bacteria.

Jan 16, 2025 · Carbon dioxide emissions in the United States decreased by 1.5% between 1990 and 2022, excluding LULUCF sinks. Since the combustion of fossil fuel is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, changes in emissions from fossil fuel combustion have historically been the dominant factor affecting total U.S. emission ...

Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas that helps to trap heat in our atmosphere. Without it, our planet would be inhospitably cold. However, an increase in CO 2 concentrations in our atmosphere is causing average global temperatures to …

Carbon dioxide (CO 2) is an important heat-trapping gas, also known as a greenhouse gas, that comes from the extraction and burning of fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, and natural gas), from wildfires, and natural processes like volcanic eruptions.

Jan 20, 2023 · Carbon dioxide, also known as CO 2, is a simple molecule that makes life on Earth possible. CO 2 is called a trace gas because it makes up less than 1 percent of the atmosphere. Even that small amount, however, plays a big role in shaping Earth’s climate.

Jun 28, 2024 · Carbon dioxide is a gas produced when an organic carbon compound (such as wood) or fossilized organic matter (such as coal, oil, or natural gas) is burned in the presence of oxygen. Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere by “sinks”, such as absorption by seawater and photosynthesis by plants and plankton .

Carbon dioxide is one of many molecules where carbon is commonly found on the Earth. It does not burn, and in standard temperature and pressure conditions it is stable, inert, and non-toxic. Carbon dioxide occurs naturally in small amounts (about 0.04 percent) in the Earth's atmosphere.