• Question: what is carbon monooxide

    Asked by siddybean123 to Anna, Chris, Jane, Iain, Nick on 10 Mar 2014.
    • Photo: Nick Goldman

      Nick Goldman answered on 10 Mar 2014:

      Carbon monoxide is a gas, with one carbon atom and one oxygen atom in each molecule. It is made naturally (from sunlight affecting the atmosphere; also from natural burning like forest fires…), and also created by human activities burning fossil fuels (cars…). If the concentration of carbon monoxide gets too high, it can be poisonous to humans and can even lead to death — this tends to be from badly adjusted heaters in places where there isn’t good ventilation.
      Hope this answers your question @siddybean123

    • Photo: Anna Middleton

      Anna Middleton answered on 10 Mar 2014:

      Hi @siddybean123
      Carbon monoxide is definitely not your friend – being poisonous, odourless and clear, it’s very tricky to spot. If you have a dodgy gas boiler or fire it can leak out and kill anyone that breaths it in. All of us should make sure we have a carbon monoxide detecter in our houses so that the gas can be picked up if there is a leak anywhere.

    • Photo: Iain Moal

      Iain Moal answered on 10 Mar 2014:

      As the others said, its a toxic gas made from molecules which have one oxygen atom attached to one carbon atom. Actually, its a molecule which I studied in quite some detail when I was at university. I was attempting to predict what happens when you shine infra-red light at it at very low pressure when mixed with various atomic gasses.

Comments

  • Photo: Rowena

    Rowena commented on :

    Carbon dioxide poisons you by binding to iron in your blood the way oxygen does and blocking the site for oxygen. Oxygen is two O atoms joined together so it is similar enough that the body gets confused.

    (Colour Zone Scientist)