carbon cycle calculation

[Corinne]

Hi all

 

I seem to have a recurring problem with this type of calculation:

We have to calculate the increase in percentage in the mass of carbon in the atmosphere if we were to move 1ppm of the rock reservoir to the atmosphere (without compensating transfer of carbon out of the atmosphere)

 

The data is Mass of carbon/10¹²kgC for rock is 50,000,000 x 10¹² KgC and in the atmosphere is 800 x10¹²kgC.

The calculations given by the book is as follows:

 

1ppm: is 1 x10⁶( elevated at six) so divide 50,000,000 x 10¹²/1 x10⁶= 50 x 10¹²

 

50 x 10¹²/ 800 x 10¹²x100%=6.3%

 

Sorry I know this is too basic but I don't get the first part of the calculation.

 

I have the same sort of problem with this other calculation , not sure where the 17 is coming from

 

1370 W m⁻² x1.27 x10¹⁴ m²= 1.74 x10¹⁷ W

 

Any comments would be great

 

Thanks

[dttom]

So you assume your 'rock' is all carbon, and you pick 1ppm of course that 1ppm is a significant amount of carbon.

I'm not sure, but I see your notation of '/10^12kg', will it be that there is 10^12kg rock in which 5e7kg is carbon?