Are 19.6 pounds of CO2 produced from burning a gallon of gasoline?

Every gallon of gasoline you burn makes about 19.6 pounds of carbon dioxide, which is a kind of invisible gas that helps keep the Earth warm.

Think of a gallon of gasoline like a big bag of tiny, energy-filled candies. When you put it into your car and drive off, those candies start burning, poof!, and they turn into carbon dioxide. It’s kind of like when you blow out birthday candles and make a wish, the flame makes smoke, which is similar to what happens inside your engine.

Now imagine that same bag of candies turns into 19.6 pounds of invisible gas, that's almost as heavy as a small dog or a big backpack filled with books! So even though you can’t see it, every time you fill up your car and go for a ride, you're making quite the amount of carbon dioxide, which is like leaving a trail of invisible bubbles behind you.

It’s not magic, it's just how gasoline works when it burns.