What Is Carbon Dioxide Used For – Some of the Answers Are Obvious and To Be Avoided, While Others Will Surprise You!
We probably all learned a little bit about carbon dioxide back in elementary school. We learned that plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, giving us clean air to breathe. We use up oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. A win-win relationship between us and plant life.
There are other uses for this chemical, though. The chemical formula for carbon dioxide is CO2. It is usually in the form of a gas; in solid form, carbon dioxide is known as dry ice to keep your food or drinks cold for many, many hours. You can discover other answers to the question, what is carbon dioxide used for, aside from the grade school science you already know, and some of the answers will be included in this article. For starters, did you know that carbon dioxide is one of the main components that make those fun glow sticks become illuminated when you activate them? Yes, carbon dioxide and phenol are formulated when a glow stick is bent into activation, as the chemicals inside blend together. The carbon dioxide formulation gives the sticks their energy and, hence, their glowing appearance! And the glow sticks are not dangerous once the sticks are glowing and this chemiluminescent reaction occurs.
Carbon dioxide is also placed into fire extinguishers and used in life jackets so they can quickly deflate. Mothballs contain CO2, leavening agents help dough to rise and soft drinks use carbon dioxide. There is a carbon dioxide and water reaction that produces those fizzy bubbles in our soft drinks.
There are some dangerous components to carbon dioxide use, though none of them involve toys like glow sticks, necklaces or bracelets and such. These are safe toys, home decorations, party items and games that can be used over and over again with no worries.
There are other instances, however, when carbon dioxide can be poisonous and you should be aware of these dangers. CO2 is emitted from the exhaust pipe of most automobiles. When we breathe enough of it in gaseous form, it is a poison. If you were to stay inside a closed garage for a while with a car running and its exhaust being breathed in, you could become poisoned. How would you know you are being poisoned? Well, carbon dioxide poisoning symptoms are somewhat slight and there is a danger of sleeping through them and never knowing you’ve been poisoned. But if you are alert, some of the symptoms are a slight headache, feeling weak, dizziness, being nauseous and/or vomiting, having shortness of breath, becoming confused, having blurred vision and, finally, losing consciousness. The first line of action if any of these symptoms occur is to get fresh air into the room or leave to go outside.
The most fun you can have with carbon dioxide isn’t well known, but they are part of the whole element that makes up those brilliant glow sticks we all love. Purchase your supply of safe glow stick items at www.premierglow.com by calling us at 866-661-0145 now to get your supply for any occasion.