Carbon dioxide, better known as carbon dioxide, is a gas consisting of one carbon and two oxygen atoms, represented by the chemical symbol CO2. It is the molecule that creates bubbles in carbonated drinks and often also in alcoholic ones, which makes bread rise, characterizes the propellant of some aerosols and the foam of fire extinguishers. The CO2 it can be developed intentionally or as a byproduct of other chemical reactions, below you will find the most common ways to do it.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Producing Carbon Dioxide at Home
Step 1. Get a 2 liter plastic bottle
Use plastic instead of glass because if you have to put the bottle under pressure and risk breaking it, a plastic bottle will certainly not explode in the same way as a glass one.
If you want to produce carbon dioxide for the plants in your aquarium, a bottle of that size will provide enough quantities for an aquarium of around 100 liters
Step 2. Add about 400 grams of sugar
It uses brown sugar instead of white sugar, it has a greater number of complex sugars whose bonds will take longer to be broken by the yeast.
Step 3. Fill the hot water bottle up to the neck
The temperature of the hot tap water will be sufficient, too hot water will kill the bacteria present in the yeast.
Step 4. Add 1.5 grams of baking soda
Sodium bicarbonate, in addition to being useful for a variety of uses, is found in most supermarkets and costs very little.
Step 5. Add about 1.5 grams of any type of yeast extract
Quite difficult to find, if you can find it, it will make the yeast last longer.
An example of a yeast extract is Vegemite, found in Australia. Other examples are Cenomis (of Swiss origin) and Marmite (of British production)
Step 6. Add 1 gram of yeast
Brewer's yeast lasts longer than classic bakery yeast, but the latter lasts long enough for the reaction and costs much less.
Step 7. Close the bottle tightly
Step 8. Shake the bottle well to completely mix the yeast and sugar
You should see some foam forming over the water.
Step 9. Open the bottle
Step 10. Wait 2 to 12 hours
The water should start to bubble in the meantime, confirming that the carbon dioxide production reaction is taking place. If you don't see any bubbles after 12 hours, either the water was too hot or the yeast was no longer active.
Your solution should bubble at about 2 bubbles per second. More quickly you could risk compromising the pH of the water
Part 2 of 2: Other Ways to Produce Carbon Dioxide
Step 1. Breathe
Your body uses the oxygen you breathe in to develop a chemical reaction with the proteins, fatty acids and carbohydrates you ingest by eating. One of the results of these reactions is the carbon dioxide you exhale with each breath.
On the contrary, plants and some types of bacteria take the carbon dioxide present in the air and thanks to the energy of sunlight, transform it into simple sugars (carbohydrates in fact)
Step 2. Burn something that contains carbon
Life on Earth is based on the element carbon. Combustions of any kind require a spark, a fuel source, and an atmosphere in which to trigger the reaction and make it last. The oxygen present in our atmosphere reacts readily with other substances, close to the burning carbon, it will form carbon dioxide (CO₂ in fact).
Calcium oxide (CaO), also known as quicklime, can be produced by burning limestone, which contains calcium carbonate (CaCO3). During the reaction, the CO2 it is expelled giving rise to calcium oxide (for this reason also called burnt lime).
Step 3. Blend carbon-containing chemicals
The carbon and oxygen that make up CO2 they are found in a number of chemical and mineral elements classified as carbonates or, when hydrogen is also present, as bicarbonates. Reactions with other chemicals can release carbon dioxide into the air or mix it with water to form carbonic acid (H2CO3). Some of the possible reactions are:
- Hydrochloric acid and calcium carbonate. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is the acid found in the stomach of humans. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is found in limestone, gypsum, eggshells, pearls and corals, as well as some antacids. When the two chemical elements are mixed, calcium chloride and carbonic acid are formed, which then breaks down into water and carbon dioxide.
- Vinegar and baking soda. Vinegar is a solution of acetic acid (C.2H.4OR2) which, mixed with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), produces water, sodium acetate and carbon dioxide, usually following a foamy reaction.
- Methane and water vapor. This reaction is performed on an industrial scale to extract hydrogen using steam at high temperatures. Methane (CH4) reacts with water vapor (H.2O) giving rise to hydrogen molecules (H.2) and carbon monoxide (CO), a deadly gas. The carbon monoxide is then mixed again with the water vapor at lower temperatures to produce hydrogen in greater quantities and transform the carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide, which is far safer.
- Yeast and sugar. By adding yeast to the sugar in solution, as in the instructions in Part One, it is forced to break the chemical bonds that constitute it and release CO2. The reaction, which takes the name of fermentation, also produces ethanol (C.2H.5OH), the form of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages.
