Lets hope so by 12:32 mw or a 1:2 relationship where C=12 & O=16. Just do the basic math, 12+32 opposed to 32. It outweighs O2 by 12.mw (molecular weight).
The relationship between CO2 density and global warming has more to do with long range radiation/band widths. The inference being it's a omnidirectional pathway that forwards scattered photons. That's something I'm limited on, whether most go up down or sideways is beyond me, though I do think there is a net effect.
This is an argument deniers tried to use for a while, some time ago.
If the atmosphere was completely still it might even be true, CO2 is certainly a heavier gas, oxygen has an atomic weight of 16, Nitrogen 14, CO2 44. Deniers seem to stop there but look further and you find Ozone is actually 48, yet it is mostly at the top of the atmosphere, or we would all be dead.
Atmospheric mixing mixes all these gases to make our air, Ozone forms so high that it is almost above many of these processes but a slow trickle does get back to the surface but not enough to harm us.
This is not always the case for CO2 swamps and tectonic events can cause a sudden flood of CO2 in a region that can literally suffocate the life there, there are documented examples such an event can last minutes or hours depend how still the atmosphere is and the local topography that may make this worse with say, surrounding hills, like this event
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nyos
Which killed 1700 people, while the CO2 will dissipate a human can suffocate in minutes, but such events are very rare, in the normal atmosphere mixing keeps everything mixed together.
Your candle example uses a glass tube to isolate the candle and the CO2 from atmospheric movement (it's actually a very old but simple experiment) if you could colour the gases the CO2 is poured in and as it is it sinks (the experimenter does this very carefully to not create air movement) as it fills the bottom the oxygen is expelled out the top and the candle goes out. But the weight of all these gases for 16-48 is still a tiny tiny individual weight the slightest air movement that we could not even feel is like a hurricane to them. In the atmosphere you have wind and convection acting on the atmosphere all the time.
CO2, by displacing oxygen, is a good fire extinguisher. CO2 is heavier than air but it still disperses in the atmosphere. There are places where lakes have too much CO2 and when they shake, they erupt CO2 like a soda can. This CO2 will travel low and will suffocate anything that is too low. It doesn't really relate to AGW however. It eventually disperses into the atmosphere and generally mixes with the other air molecules. Sorry I couldn't think of a way to relate them.
CO2 is heavier than O2 because CO2 act as a thick blanket best eg is
-it is used in fire extinguisher
negligible effect
How does co2 being heavier relate to global warming? Or how can u apply it to everyday life? My little brother is doing a science fair and he puts out a candle with co2 gas made from vinegar and baking soda. How can we relate that?
