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Finding the Total Carbon Dioxide Emissions from 1850

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The graph below shows how the rate of CO2 emissions varies from 1800 to 2017.

This curve can be approximated as \(E = 1.5e^{0.02t}\) where E is the rate of CO₂ emissions per year (GtCO₂ year⁻¹) and t is the number of years since 1800.

a) Using the above equation, calculate the total mass of CO₂ emitted between the years 1800 and 2017. Give your answer to 3.s.f.

[3 marks]


b) By comparing the exponential model with the best fit line on the graph shown at \(t = 150\), evaluate whether your answer to (a) is an overestimate of the true emissions or an underestimate.

[1 mark]

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