How Many Liters of CO2 Does Eating a Giant Gummy Bear Produce?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the amount of CO2 produced from consuming a giant gummy bear, focusing on the biochemical process of cellular respiration and the application of stoichiometry and gas laws. The context is primarily homework-related, involving theoretical calculations based on given data.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant outlines the problem, stating the total carbohydrate content of the gummy bear and proposing to use the equation for cellular respiration to calculate CO2 production.
  • Another participant questions the validity of the initial approach and seeks clarification on the strategy for calculating CO2 emissions.
  • A participant expresses uncertainty about the correctness of their method and suggests using stoichiometry along with the ideal gas law (PV=nRT) to find the volume of CO2 produced, inquiring about the appropriate conditions for temperature and pressure.
  • A later reply confirms the use of stoichiometry and the ideal gas law, affirming that body temperature and standard atmospheric pressure are suitable assumptions for the calculations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express uncertainty regarding the initial approach and the calculations involved. While there is agreement on using stoichiometry and the ideal gas law, the discussion does not reach a consensus on the correctness of the initial method or the final answer.

Contextual Notes

Participants do not specify any assumptions regarding the efficiency of cellular respiration or the complete conversion of glucose to CO2, which may affect the calculations. The discussion also lacks clarity on the exact conditions for the ideal gas law application.

ngu9997
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Homework Statement


(problem won't be word for word, because much of the info. is to throw people off); This large gummy bear, which contains 51 servings and each serving contains 29 grams of carbs. Assuming all the carbs are glucose, how many liters of CO2 would eating this gummy bear cause one to exhale.

Homework Equations


Not a specific equation I'm thinking.

The Attempt at a Solution


So since there is 51 servings with each serving containing 29 grams of carbs, the total amount of carbs which is glucose in this case is 1479 grams. I started out with the equation for cellular respiration:
C6H12O6 + 6 O2 → 6 H2O + 6CO2 + energy. I'm thinking I should take 1479 grams, divide it by the molar mass of glucose, and then convert it to moles of glucose, then moles of CO2. But instead of moles I should treat them as liters instead. Would this get me the right answer?
 
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ngu9997 said:
Would this get me the right answer?
Do you have any specific doubts about this strategy?
 
Yeah I don't feel like I'm doing it right. Would doing all the stoichiometry I stated above to find the moles of CO2 and using PV=nRT work? If so, would the temperature be body temp and would the pressure be 1 atm?
 
ngu9997 said:
Would doing all the stoichiometry I stated above to find the moles of CO2 and using PV=nRT work? If so, would the temperature be body temp and would the pressure be 1 atm?

Yes, yes, yes and yes.
 

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