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Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is colorless, tasteless, and odorless. In large quantities, it can also be deadly. It has been referred to as a silent killer. Home carbon monoxide detectors became available in the 1990s.

501 Questions

What is the pH of carbon monoxide?

1: Carboxylic acids are not a single acid but a class of acids with varying acidities.

2: pH depends on the concentration of an acid as well as its strength, so ther is no definite pH.

Why is carbon monoxide not an element?

Carbon monoxide is not an element because each molecule, the smallest unit of the substance that can exist, is a chemical combination of an atom of carbon and an atom of oxygen. A link to the Wikipedia article on this substance is provided.

Is carbon monoxide a acid or alkaline solution?

First of all, Carbon Monoxide is a gas, not a solution. To find the acidity or alkalinity of a solution [the 'potential of hydrogen or the 'ph'] there has to be hydrogen present, which you do not have in CO, carbon monoxide. The first answer above needs a bit of clarification. Gasses often dissolve in liquid solvents to form solutions. Well known examples include Ammonia-Water, Chlorine-Water, Carbon Dioxide-Water, and Nitrogen Dioxide-Water. The amount of gas held in the solution depends on temperature, pressure, and sometimes, the presence of other chemicals (cosolvents or catalysts). Carbon monoxide (CO) also dissolves in water, though not as well as carbon dioxide (CO2). When CO dissolves in water, some amount of formic acid (HCOOH) is produced; the solution is thus weakly acidic. There are at least two industrial processes known to this writer that involve dissolving CO in water. In one, CO is dissolved in water to make an antibacterial rinse for meat processing. In the other, CO is dissolved in water for the express purpose of manufacturing formic acid. (Industrially, this reaction occurs at elevated temperature and pressure in the presence of an amine. At room temperature, this reaction is energetically not very favorable.) See US Patent 5,334,759 (1994).

How is carbon monoxide dangerous?

Carbon monoxide (CO) is dangerous to humans because it bonds much more strongly to hemoglobin than oxygen. This can lead to death because the person then cannot get enough oxygen to his/her cells.

How are tar and carbon monoxide harmful to you?

One of the most harmful of the gases in cigarette smoke, carbon monoxide is the same gas as that in car exhaust. Carbon monoxide (CO) replaces oxygen in the blood, making it difficult for the body's cells to get all the oxygen they need. CO also promotes cholesterol deposits in the arteries, contributing to cardiovascular disease. Elevated CO blood levels impair vision and judgment, making smoking potentially dangerous to drivers. Elevated CO levels can cause tiredness, a condition that bothers many smokers.

Are new homes safe from carbon monoxide?

Generally speaking, new homes are quite safe from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. The building materials and the things in the home are all usually safe, providing they are in good operating condition. The only real problem is the people who live in the houses. Let's look.

Older or malfunctioning fuel-burning furnaces, ranges or water heaters can dump carbon monoxide into the air in a house. And we know CO is dangerous stuff, particularly since it has no odor and can overcome a individual very quickly. If individuals run fuel-powered space heaters inside, or if a fireplace is malfunctioning, these can also put CO in the air. Why would anyone run a gas powered generator (or a gas powered anything else) in a home? Operating a motor vehicle in an attached garage can push CO into a house. If this isn't bad enough, some people think they can fire up a barque of some kind in a house, too. Charcoal will give off a lot of CO when it's burned.

A new home probably has up-to-date equipment. But it is up to the people who live there to maintain it (or have it maintained), and also to operate it properly. The new home itself isn't the problem with CO. It's what the people who live there are doing in the home that can end up getting a lot of CO in the air. That's the long and short of it.

Oh, and remember that CO is really nasty stuff. Hemoglobin (the stuff in blood that binds O2 and carries it through the body in the circulatory system) loves to grab onto CO much better (not just better) than it does oxygen, and it doesn't like to let go of it quickly, either. That's why CO "displaces" O2 in the respiratory/gas exchange cycle that keeps us alive. Review the main ways houses end up with dangerous CO levels in them, and you'll see it's all about the people who use the house. You may also recognize a serious threat in your own home (or one you visit) when you see an issue there that may expose you and others to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in a home.

What is the chemical equation for carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide has CO as its chemical formula, and it has a single carbon atom triple bonded to a single oxygen atom. The carbon symbol is C and the oxygen symbol is O. The mono- prefix indicates "one" or "single". Wikipedia has more, and a link is provided below.

What makes carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is produced through incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels such as wood, gasoline, coal, and propane. This occurs when there is a limited supply of oxygen during the combustion process, leading to the formation of carbon monoxide rather than carbon dioxide.

What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?

Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas, which makes it very dangerous. It can be found in gas fumes, such as from a car exhaust or gas powered heater. It causes headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea and vomiting. At higher levels, it can cause chest pain, confusion, loss of consciousness, and death from lack of oxygen. You will be unconscious within just a few breaths, and dead in less than 3 minutes!

The carbon monoxide molecules stick to your red blood cells and block the oxygen from getting to your cells, so you suffocate even though you are breathing air. Oddly, the blood cells turn a bright, healthy red color, so doctors can recognize carbon monoxide poisoning because the dead person looks pink and healthy!

A little more.

Symptoms of CO poisoning are the same as for hypoxia -- which in a way it is. These include:

  • Confusion and lethargy
  • Headache
  • Dimness and/or narrowness of vision
  • Syncope
  • Depressed respiratory function
  • Cardiac arrhythmia's
  • Death
  • Cherry red lips, gums, conjunctiva, finger nail beds.

What's happening is this: The respiratory pigment, hemoglobin, is the complex molecule that bonds to oxygen and carries it through your body to various organs that require O2. When hemoglobin is bonded to oxygen, it appears as a bright, vibrant red. When it's unbonded, it's a dark red -- almost a purple/blue.

Carbon Monoxide or CO bonds to hemoglobin about 20 times more efficiently than O2, hence the bright red cherry coloration of the blood. This blocks oxygen transport, and eventually causes death by hypoxia.

Breathing pure CO can kill very fast, but this rarely happens as pure CO isn't all that easy to find. It's a gas resulting from incomplete combustion. This would include car exhausts, using your BBQ indoors, and various other incomplete forms of combustion. As such, at lower concentrations, death may take a while.

Best treatment is hyperbaric O2 (I seem to recall 2 atmospheres being ideal but I'm not certain.). If you don't have the hyperbaric chamber, adminsiter oxygen and prepare for CPR with O2 if you can.

Carbon monoxide formula?

The chemical formula for carbon monoxide is CO. It consists of one carbon atom covalently bonded to one oxygen atom. It is a colorless, odorless gas that is poisonous when inhaled in high concentrations.

When was the first carbon monoxide detector invented?

The first carbon monoxide detector was invented in the 1920s by Dr. Walter Jaeger in Germany. However, widespread use of carbon monoxide detectors in homes didn't occur until much later, in the late 20th century.

Can you withhold rent due to the presence of carbon monoxide?

It is generally not recommended to withhold rent due to the presence of carbon monoxide. Instead, contact your landlord immediately to address the issue and ensure the safety of the rental property. If the landlord fails to take action, you may need to explore legal options or contact local housing authorities for assistance.

What is the formula for carbon monoxide?

CO because Carbon Monoxide means one carbon atom for one oxygen atom.

Is carbon monoxide heavier than air?

Molar mass of CO (carbon monoxide) is 12+16 = 28 ,

the mean molar mass of air (20% O2, 80% N2) = 0.20*32 + 0.80*28 = 28.8 thus air is a bit heavier than CO

Is the bond energy in carbon monoxide low?

The bond strength for carbon monoxide (triple bond) is about 1070 kJ/m (see Wickipedia and http://www.wissensdrang.com/auf1cb2.htm). This is a very high bond strength--even greater than that for the triple bond in molecular nitrogen.

However, carbon monoxide is more reactive than nitrogen (see http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/6671/n2/n2.html). That is a different issue.

Is carbon monoxide polar or non-polar?

Since polar molecules have a difference of electronegativity of 0.5-1.7 and non-polar molecules have between 0-0.5, with nitrogen monoxide having a difference right in between, the moloecule can be considered a non polar or polar molecule. But if considered a polar molecule it must be noted that the unequal distribution of electrons is extremely slight.

Why do people die from carbon monoxide poisoning?

It is definitely possible for a person to kill yourself this way. Some people who are concerned about life insurance paying out think they can make monoxide poisoning look like an accidental death. Assuming that you're asking this for real, rather than coming up with a plot for a novel or something, please call 1(800)SUICIDE [1-800-784-2433] before doing anything irrevocable. Carbon monoxide is a gas molecule that binds to a red blood cell more strongly that oxygen. Because oxygen cannot displace the CO once bound, the blood system is left with less and less oxygen for fuel. This yields a slow, toxic suffocation. Symptoms of CO poisoning - headache first, then nausea/vomiting, then altered level of consciousness (something like being very drunk and incoherent), then after that generally losing consciousness and death. After death there is often cherry-red skin, much like the meat at the grocery store which is treated with CO for preservation.

Are there carbon monoxide fumes from a battery charger?

Due to the chemical compositions of batteries (most batteries contain a form of acid which reacts to create electricity) neither the battery charger nor the battery is likely to produce CO (Carbon Monoxide)

A true statement about carbon monoxide is that it?

Carbon monoxide has the formula CO and is a byproduct of incomplete combustion. It poses a threat to health as it binds to the active site of the haemoglobin in the blood stream depriving the body of oxygen, causing death.

Are carbon monoxide levels higher during cold weather?

They tend to be, but not as a direct result of the weather. When it is cold we tend to run furnaces and heaters that usually run on fossil fuels such as natural gas. Burning these fuels produces carbon monoxide.

Can carbon monoxide come from radiators?

No. Carbon monoxide is the product of burning fossil fuels such as coal or petroleum.

What actions can quickly lead to carbon monoxide poisoning?

- a not complete burning
- photochemical reactions in the troposphere
- natural production in blood

What are the short term effects of carbon monoxide in the body?

Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms: - headache - nausea - malaise - fatigue - fast heart rate - low blood pressure - cardiac arrhytmia - delirium - hallucinations -dizziness -unsteady gait - confusion - seizures - central nervous system depression - unconsciousness - respiratory arrest

How long does carbon monoxide last in the environment?

Carbon monoxide typically stays in the atmosphere for a few weeks to a few months before being converted into carbon dioxide by natural processes. Its longevity can vary depending on factors such as weather conditions and other pollutants present in the environment.

How many molecules are in carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is a type of molecule. It contains 1 carbon atom and 1 oxygen atom