Biofuels

Question 1

How are Microorganisms used to create biogas, which can be used as fuel?

Answer 1

They’re used to decompose living organisms’ waste or dead plants to create biogas, which can be used as fuel

Question 2

When Biogas is burned what can it be used to heat?

Answer 2

Water or used in central heating systems

Question 3

How else can biogas be used?

Answer 3

To power a turbine, which can help generate electricity.

Question 4

Positives of biogas being used to power a turbine and generate electricity?

Answer 4

Useful for producing electricity in remote areas with no mains supply

Question 5

What can biogas be used as a fuel for?

Answer 5

Cars and buses

Question 6

An advantage of Biogas is that it’s renewable, what does this mean?

Answer 6

+RENEWABLE means it won’t run out

+ The plants which are decomposed to make biogas can be replaced quickly with new crops.

Question 7

How is the release of CO2 from burning the biogas balanced out?

Answer 7

+ dead plants needed to make biogas photosynthesised when alive, removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
+ ADVANTAGE

Question 8

Why is Biogas a fairly clean fuel?

Answer 8

It doesn’t produce many particles, or significant amounts of Sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen

Question 9

What are the positives of the raw materials for Biogas?

Answer 9

Cheap and readily available

Question 10

What are the raw materials of Biogas?

Answer 10

Plant waste or manure

Question 11

What percentage of gases is Biogas usually made up of?

Answer 11

70% Methane, 30% Carbon Dioxide

Question 12

What can Ethanol (a type of alcohol) be used for? And what does it produced when burnt?

Answer 12

Ethanol can be used as fuel. It burns to give just CO2 and water

Question 13

How can ethanol be produced?

Answer 13

Using yeast to ferment sugars.

Question 14

What materials can be used as a source of sugar in ethanol production?

Answer 14

Sugar cane and Sugar beet

Question 15

What is gasohol?

Answer 15

A mixture of about 10% ethanol and 90% petrol

Question 16

Can cars be adapted to run on gasohol?

Answer 16

Yes. Some countries, such as Brazil make extensive use of gasohol. It’s best used in areas where there’s plenty of fertile land for growing the crops needed, and good crop growing weather

Question 17

What is a negative of using ethanol as a fuel?

Answer 17

Large amounts of land are needed to grow the crops used to produce ethanol, there would be less land to grow food.

Question 18

What does using gasohol instead of pure petrol mean?

Answer 18

Less crude oil is being used

+ADVANTAGE+

Question 19

How is the release of CO2 from when gas is being burnt balanced out in the production of ethanol?

Answer 19

the crops needed for ethanol production absorb CO2 from the atmosphere in photosynthesis whilst growing.
+ADVANTAGE+

Question 20

Negative of using ethanol as a fuel

Answer 20

Distilling the ethanol after fermentation needs a lot of energy, so it’s not a perfect solution.

Question 21

What is biogas made by?

Answer 21

Microorganisms