Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CO2. 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 CO2 is the primary carbon source for life on Earth. In the air, carbon dioxide is transparent to visible light but absorbs infrared radiation, acting as a greenhouse gas. Carbon dioxide is soluble in water and is found in groundwater, lakes, ice caps, and seawater.
It is a trace gas in Earth's atmosphere at 421 parts per million (ppm), [a] or about 0.042% (as of May 2022) having risen from pre-industrial levels of 280 ppm or about 0.028%.[10][11] Burning fossil fuels is the main cause of these increased CO2 concentrations, which are the primary cause of climate change.[12]
Its concentration in Earth's pre-industrial atmosphere since late in the Precambrian was regulated by organisms and geological features. Plants, algae and cyanobacteria use energy from sunlight to synthesize carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water in a process called photosynthesis, which produces oxygen as a waste product.[13] In turn, oxygen is consumed and CO2 is released as waste by all aerobic organisms when they metabolize organic compounds to produce energy by respiration.[14] CO2 is released from organic materials when they decay or combust, such as in forest fires. When carbon dioxide dissolves in water, it forms carbonate and mainly bicarbonate (HCO−3), which causes ocean acidification as atmospheric CO2 levels increase.[15]
Carbon dioxide is 53% more dense than dry air, but is long lived and thoroughly mixes in the atmosphere. About half of excess CO2 emissions to the atmosphere are absorbed by land and ocean carbon sinks.[16] These sinks can become saturated and are volatile, as decay and wildfires result in the CO2 being released back into the atmosphere.[17] CO2 is eventually sequestered (stored for the long term) in rocks and organic deposits like coal, petroleum and natural gas.
Keywords
421 parts
280 ppm
released back
produce energy
aerobic organisms
waste product13
million ppm
natural gas
coal petroleum
long term
wildfires result
long lived
bicarbonate hco3
forms carbonate
forest fires
turn oxygen
produces oxygen
synthesize carbohydrates
climate change12
trace gas
visible light
room temperature
gas state
oxygen atoms
atmosphere17 co2
respiration14 co2
earths atmosphere
organic deposits
organic materials
dry air
ocean acidification
preindustrial levels
normallyencountered concentrations
chemical compound
carbon dioxide
primary carbon source
earths preindustrial atmosphere
air carbon dioxide
increased co2 concentrations
chemical formula co2
ocean carbon sinks16
carbon dioxide dissolves
excess co2 emissions
metabolize organic compounds
eventually sequestered stored
process called photosynthesis
