Welcome to Brainstuff from how stuff works dot com where smart happens. Hi Am Marshall Brain with today's question, what is a catalytic converter and how does it work? A catalytic converter is a device in your car that uses a catalyst to convert three harmful compounds in car exhaust
into harmless compounds. The three harmful compounds are one hydrocarbons in the form of unburned gasoline to carbon monoxide formed by the combustion of gasoline, and three nitrogen oxides created when the heat in the engine forces nitrogen in the air to combine with oxygen. Carbon monoxide is a poison for any air breathing animal. Nitrogen oxides lead to smog
and acid rain, and hydrocarbons produce smog. In a catalytic converter, the catalyst, in the form of platinum and palladium, is coated on to a ceramic honeycomb or ceramic beads that are housed in a muffler like package attached to the exhaust pipe. The catalyst helps to convert carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. It converts the hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water, and it converts the nitrogen oxides back into nitrogen and oxygen. This makes the exhaust coming out the exhaust pipe a
lot cleaner. Do you have any ideas or suggestions for this podcast? If so, please send me an email at podcast at how stuff works dot com. For more on this and thousands of other topics, go to how stuff works dot com