Here are four different ways chemists use to show a molecule of carbon monoxide. In the colored molecule models, carbon is light gray and oxygen is red.
Click on image for full size
Windows to the Universe original artwork by Randy Russell.
Carbon Monoxide - CO
Carbon monoxide is kind of gas. It is poisonous. A molecule of carbon monoxide (CO) has one carbon atom and one oxygen atom. Earth's atmosphere has a small amount of carbon monoxide in it.
The carbon monoxide in air comes from nature and from things people do. Volcanoes and forest fires give off carbon monoxide. Most of the carbon monoxide people make comes from the engines of cars and trucks. Carbon monoxide is an important kind of air pollution.
When fuel burns, it usually makes carbon dioxide (CO2). Sometimes when fuel burns there isn't enough oxygen, or there is too much carbon. When this happens, the burning creates carbon monoxide, too.
Earth is not the only place we find carbon monoxide. It has been found in gaseous nebulae, in the atmospheres of other planets, and in the ices of comets.
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!
Our
online store includes
books on science education,
classroom activities in The Earth Scientist,
mineral and
fossil specimens, and
educational games!
You might also be interested in:
Most things around us are made of groups of atoms connected together into packages called molecules. Molecules are made from atoms of one or more elements. Some molecules are made of only one type of
...more
Air pollution comes from many sources. Some natural sources affect air quality. Volcanoes produce sulfur, chlorine, and ash. Wildfires make smoke and carbon monoxide. Cattle and other animals release methane
...more
Have you ever heard of air pollution? Air pollution is not new. 700 years ago, when people started burning large amounts of coal 700 years ago in London, England, they complained about the dust and soot
...more
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a kind of gas. There isn't that much carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere, but it is still very important. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. That means it helps trap heat coming
...more
Oxygen (O2) is a kind of gas. A lot of the air you breathe is oxygen. That's a good thing, since we need oxygen to stay alive! About 4/5ths of the air in Earth's atmosphere is nitrogen (N2). Almost all
...more
It may seem hard to believe that Pluto could have an atmosphere because it is so cold, but it does. Because there are times when Pluto is closer to the sun than is Neptune (making it the 8th planet for
...more
When you think of chemistry, do you think about mixing colored liquids in test tubes and maybe making an explosion... or at least a nice puff of smoke? Did you know that a lot of chemistry happens in Earth's
...more
