Printable worksheet

← Back to the Flight Emissions Calculator

In the print window, choose “Save as PDF” as the printer (or print it on paper). Seed 1 rebuilds this exact sheet.

Flight Emissions worksheet

Grades 11–12

Solve each problem and show your work. Round answers to 2 decimal places where needed.

1.
Problem 1.
- Flight distance from: Two airport coordinates
- Departure latitude: 55 °
- Departure longitude: -100 °
- Arrival latitude: 34 °
- Arrival longitude: -58 °
- Passengers: 1
- Cabin class (example weights): Economy (×1)
- Emission factor (example: 0.15): 0.13 kg CO2/pkm
- Non-CO2 multiplier (optional; 1 = CO2 only): 1
- Round trip (double the distance): No
Find: Estimated CO2
Answer
2.
Problem 2.
- Flight distance from: Two airport coordinates
- Departure latitude: 45 °
- Departure longitude: -85 °
- Arrival latitude: 32.5 °
- Arrival longitude: -61 °
- Passengers: 1
- Cabin class (example weights): Economy (×1)
- Emission factor (example: 0.15): 0.15 kg CO2/pkm
- Non-CO2 multiplier (optional; 1 = CO2 only): 2
- Round trip (double the distance): No
Find: Estimated climate impact (CO2 × multiplier)
Answer
3.
Problem 3.
- Flight distance from: Two airport coordinates
- Departure latitude: 34 °
- Departure longitude: -130 °
- Arrival latitude: 46 °
- Arrival longitude: -74 °
- Passengers: 1
- Cabin class (example weights): Custom multiplier
- Cabin multiplier: 1
- Emission factor (example: 0.15): 0.11 kg CO2/pkm
- Non-CO2 multiplier (optional; 1 = CO2 only): 1
- Round trip (double the distance): No
Find: Estimated CO2
Answer
4.
Problem 4.
- Flight distance from: A distance I know
- One-way flight distance: 1,000 km
- Passengers: 1
- Cabin class (example weights): Economy (×1)
- Emission factor (example: 0.15): 0.14 kg CO2/pkm
- Non-CO2 multiplier (optional; 1 = CO2 only): 1
- Round trip (double the distance): No
Find: Estimated CO2
Answer
5.
Problem 5.
- Flight distance from: A distance I know
- One-way flight distance: 1,750 km
- Passengers: 2
- Cabin class (example weights): Custom multiplier
- Cabin multiplier: 1
- Emission factor (example: 0.15): 0.16 kg CO2/pkm
- Non-CO2 multiplier (optional; 1 = CO2 only): 2
- Round trip (double the distance): No
Find: Estimated climate impact (CO2 × multiplier)
Answer
6.
Problem 6.
- Flight distance from: A distance I know
- One-way flight distance: 1,100 km
- Passengers: 1
- Cabin class (example weights): Premium economy (example ×1.5)
- Emission factor (example: 0.15): 0.14 kg CO2/pkm
- Non-CO2 multiplier (optional; 1 = CO2 only): 1
- Round trip (double the distance): No
Find: Estimated CO2
Answer
7.
Problem 7.
- Flight distance from: Two airport coordinates
- Departure latitude: 36 °
- Departure longitude: -100 °
- Arrival latitude: 38 °
- Arrival longitude: -85 °
- Passengers: 1
- Cabin class (example weights): Business (example ×3)
- Emission factor (example: 0.15): 0.17 kg CO2/pkm
- Non-CO2 multiplier (optional; 1 = CO2 only): 1
- Round trip (double the distance): No
Find: Estimated CO2
Answer
8.
Problem 8.
- Flight distance from: A distance I know
- One-way flight distance: 1,650 km
- Passengers: 1
- Cabin class (example weights): First (example ×4)
- Emission factor (example: 0.15): 0.16 kg CO2/pkm
- Non-CO2 multiplier (optional; 1 = CO2 only): 2
- Round trip (double the distance): No
Find: Estimated climate impact (CO2 × multiplier)
Answer
9.
Problem 9.
- Flight distance from: Two airport coordinates
- Departure latitude: 40 °
- Departure longitude: -80 °
- Arrival latitude: 37 °
- Arrival longitude: -60 °
- Passengers: 1
- Cabin class (example weights): Economy (×1)
- Emission factor (example: 0.15): 0.16 kg CO2/pkm
- Non-CO2 multiplier (optional; 1 = CO2 only): 2
- Round trip (double the distance): No
Find: Estimated climate impact (CO2 × multiplier)
Answer
10.
Problem 10.
- Flight distance from: Two airport coordinates
- Departure latitude: 37.5 °
- Departure longitude: -65 °
- Arrival latitude: 32 °
- Arrival longitude: -90 °
- Passengers: 1
- Cabin class (example weights): Custom multiplier
- Cabin multiplier: 1
- Emission factor (example: 0.15): 0.15 kg CO2/pkm
- Non-CO2 multiplier (optional; 1 = CO2 only): 2
- Round trip (double the distance): No
Find: Estimated climate impact (CO2 × multiplier)
Answer

Answer key: Flight Emissions worksheet

1. Estimated CO2: 517 kg
1. Start the haversine formula: combine the gaps in latitude and longitude into one middle value, a
  ${(sin (−10.5 °))}^{2} + cos (55 °) \times cos (34 °) \times {(sin (21 °))}^{2}$ $= 0.0942792128$
2. Turn a into c, the angle between the two airports as seen from Earth's center (in radians)
  $2 \times atan2 (\sqrt{0.0942792128}, \sqrt{1 - 0.0942792128})$ $= 0.6241818$
3. Multiply that angle by Earth's average radius (6,371 km) to get the shortest distance over the globe
  $6,371 km \times 0.6241818$ $= 3,976.662 km$
4. Multiply the passenger-km by the CO2 per km, and by the seat-class weight, to get the CO2
  $3,976.662 pkm \times 0.13 \times 1$ $= 516.966 kg$
2. Estimated climate impact (CO2 × multiplier): 746.3 kg
1. Start the haversine formula: combine the gaps in latitude and longitude into one middle value, a
  ${(sin (−6.25 °))}^{2} + cos (45 °) \times cos (32.5 °) \times {(sin (12 °))}^{2}$ $= 0.0376313495$
2. Turn a into c, the angle between the two airports as seen from Earth's center (in radians)
  $2 \times atan2 (\sqrt{0.0376313495}, \sqrt{1 - 0.0376313495})$ $= 0.39045153$
3. Multiply that angle by Earth's average radius (6,371 km) to get the shortest distance over the globe
  $6,371 km \times 0.39045153$ $= 2,487.567 km$
4. Multiply the passenger-km by the CO2 per km, and by the seat-class weight, to get the CO2
  $2,487.567 pkm \times 0.15 \times 1$ $= 373.135 kg$
5. Scale up by the non-CO2 multiplier to count contrails and other high-altitude warming
  $373.135 kg \times 2$ $= 746.27 kg$
3. Estimated CO2: 533.2 kg
1. Start the haversine formula: combine the gaps in latitude and longitude into one middle value, a
  ${(sin (6 °))}^{2} + cos (34 °) \times cos (46 °) \times {(sin (28 °))}^{2}$ $= 0.1378561379$
2. Turn a into c, the angle between the two airports as seen from Earth's center (in radians)
  $2 \times atan2 (\sqrt{0.1378561379}, \sqrt{1 - 0.1378561379})$ $= 0.76079553$
3. Multiply that angle by Earth's average radius (6,371 km) to get the shortest distance over the globe
  $6,371 km \times 0.76079553$ $= 4,847.028 km$
4. Multiply the passenger-km by the CO2 per km, and by the seat-class weight, to get the CO2
  $4,847.028 pkm \times 0.11 \times 1$ $= 533.173 kg$
4. Estimated CO2: 140 kg
1. Multiply the passenger-km by the CO2 per km, and by the seat-class weight, to get the CO2
  $1,000 pkm \times 0.14 \times 1$ $= 140 kg$
5. Estimated climate impact (CO2 × multiplier): 1,120 kg
1. Multiply the distance by the number of people flying, since each one adds to the total
  $1,750 \times 2$ $= 3,500 pkm$
2. Multiply the passenger-km by the CO2 per km, and by the seat-class weight, to get the CO2
  $3,500 pkm \times 0.16 \times 1$ $= 560 kg$
3. Scale up by the non-CO2 multiplier to count contrails and other high-altitude warming
  $560 kg \times 2$ $= 1,120 kg$
6. Estimated CO2: 231 kg
1. Multiply the passenger-km by the CO2 per km, and by the seat-class weight, to get the CO2
  $1,100 pkm \times 0.14 \times 1.5$ $= 231 kg$
7. Estimated CO2: 688 kg
1. Start the haversine formula: combine the gaps in latitude and longitude into one middle value, a
  ${(sin (1 °))}^{2} + cos (36 °) \times cos (38 °) \times {(sin (7.5 °))}^{2}$ $= 0.0111659694$
2. Turn a into c, the angle between the two airports as seen from Earth's center (in radians)
  $2 \times atan2 (\sqrt{0.0111659694}, \sqrt{1 - 0.0111659694})$ $= 0.21173359$
3. Multiply that angle by Earth's average radius (6,371 km) to get the shortest distance over the globe
  $6,371 km \times 0.21173359$ $= 1,348.955 km$
4. Multiply the passenger-km by the CO2 per km, and by the seat-class weight, to get the CO2
  $1,348.955 pkm \times 0.17 \times 3$ $= 687.967 kg$
8. Estimated climate impact (CO2 × multiplier): 2,112 kg
1. Multiply the passenger-km by the CO2 per km, and by the seat-class weight, to get the CO2
  $1,650 pkm \times 0.16 \times 4$ $= 1,056 kg$
2. Scale up by the non-CO2 multiplier to count contrails and other high-altitude warming
  $1,056 kg \times 2$ $= 2,112 kg$
9. Estimated climate impact (CO2 × multiplier): 565.8 kg
1. Start the haversine formula: combine the gaps in latitude and longitude into one middle value, a
  ${(sin (−1.5 °))}^{2} + cos (40 °) \times cos (37 °) \times {(sin (10 °))}^{2}$ $= 0.0191329673$
2. Turn a into c, the angle between the two airports as seen from Earth's center (in radians)
  $2 \times atan2 (\sqrt{0.0191329673}, \sqrt{1 - 0.0191329673})$ $= 0.27753379$
3. Multiply that angle by Earth's average radius (6,371 km) to get the shortest distance over the globe
  $6,371 km \times 0.27753379$ $= 1,768.168 km$
4. Multiply the passenger-km by the CO2 per km, and by the seat-class weight, to get the CO2
  $1,768.168 pkm \times 0.16 \times 1$ $= 282.907 kg$
5. Scale up by the non-CO2 multiplier to count contrails and other high-altitude warming
  $282.907 kg \times 2$ $= 565.814 kg$
10. Estimated climate impact (CO2 × multiplier): 707 kg
1. Start the haversine formula: combine the gaps in latitude and longitude into one middle value, a
  ${(sin (−2.75 °))}^{2} + cos (37.5 °) \times cos (32 °) \times {(sin (−12.5 °))}^{2}$ $= 0.0338200451$
2. Turn a into c, the angle between the two airports as seen from Earth's center (in radians)
  $2 \times atan2 (\sqrt{0.0338200451}, \sqrt{1 - 0.0338200451})$ $= 0.36990994$
3. Multiply that angle by Earth's average radius (6,371 km) to get the shortest distance over the globe
  $6,371 km \times 0.36990994$ $= 2,356.696 km$
4. Multiply the passenger-km by the CO2 per km, and by the seat-class weight, to get the CO2
  $2,356.696 pkm \times 0.15 \times 1$ $= 353.504 kg$
5. Scale up by the non-CO2 multiplier to count contrails and other high-altitude warming
  $353.504 kg \times 2$ $= 707.009 kg$