How can a cubic metre of straw bales weighing 130kg contain 145kg of atmospheric CO2?

Question

I don’t understand how 130kg can contain 145kg… Are there different laws for atmosphere weight compared to sea-level weight. Or are my numbers wrong?

In: Biology

Answer 1

A CO2 molecule contains one carbon atom and two oxygens, and is 73% oxygen by mass. The oxygen doesn’t come from the hay bale, but from atmospheric O2 when the hay burns.