Let's break down and solve the problem step by step. **Problem Restatement:** A person releases CO₂ via respiration at an average rate of 7.97 mg/s. How long (in years) would it take for that person to release 4.60 metric tons of CO₂ (the amount a typical passenger vehicle releases annually)? *Note: 1 metric ton = 1,000,000 grams (or 1,000 kg = 1,000,000 g = 1,000,000,000 mg).* --- ### **Step 1: Convert the Target CO₂ Mass to Milligrams** First, convert 4.60 metric tons to milligrams (mg), since the release rate is given in mg/s. - 1 metric ton = 1,000,000 g = 1,000,000,000 mg - 4.60 metric tons = 4.60 × 1,000,000,000 mg = **4,600,000,000 mg** --- ### **Step 2: Calculate the Total Time in Seconds** Next, use the formula: \[ \text{Time (seconds)} = \frac{\text{Total CO₂ to be released (mg)}}{\text{Release rate (mg/s)}} \] \[ \text{Time (seconds)} = \frac{4,600,000,000 \text{ mg}}{7.97 \text{ mg/s}} \approx 577,666,666.7 \text{ seconds} \] --- ### **Step 3: Convert Seconds to Years** There are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, and ~365 days in a year: \[ 1 \text{ year} = 60 \times 60 \times 24 \times 365 \approx 31,536,000 \text{ seconds} \] \[ \text{Time (years)} = \frac{577,666,666.7 \text{ seconds}}{31,536,000 \text{ seconds/year}} \approx 18.33 \text{ years} \] --- ## **Final Answer** **It would take approximately 18.3 years for a person to release 4.60 metric tons of CO₂ via respiration at that rate.**