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- pronunciation:
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 n
daI
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saId
- features:
- Word Explorer
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noun |
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Carbon dioxide is a gas that is made up of the chemical elements oxygen and carbon. This gas has no color or smell. Carbon dioxide is produced in many different ways. People put a little carbon dioxide into the air every time they breathe out. Carbon dioxide is also made by the burning of fuels, and it is created when plants die and decay. Carbon dioxide is often written CO2 and pronounced "see oh two."
Carbon dioxide has some important uses. Carbon dioxide is what gives soda drinks their bubbles. Carbon dioxide in the air is used by plants to make food for themselves. Too much carbon dioxide in earth's atmosphere can also be a problem, though. It is one of the gases that can stop heat from the earth escaping back out into space. The earth needs heat from the sun, of course, but if too much of the heat is trapped around the earth, the planet can get too hot. |
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