C - Environmental Problems of crude oil Flashcards
Oil ______ can happened when the oil is being transported by the tanker, these are awfully bad because…….
Spills
Animals such as birds, sea otters and whales get covered in oil and are poisoned whilst they try to clean themselves.
You have to burn crude oil to release the energy from it. But burning oil is thought to be a major cause of… (3)
Global dimming, acid rain and global warming
__% of crude oil is used as fuel
90
Burning fossil fuels releases g_____ and p_______
Gases and particles
What are the two major culprits of burning fossil fuels?
Power stations, cars
Most fuels contain hydrocarbons and so during combustion the carbon and hydrogen molecules are reacted with ________ so that they release ______ _______ and _____ _____ into the atmosphere
Oxygen
Carbon dioxide
Water vapour
What does oxidised mean?
Reacting with oxygen
When there’s plenty of oxygen, all the fuel burns - this is called….
Complete combustion
If there’s not enough oxygen, some of the fuel doesn’t burn - this is called…
Partial combustion
Why is partial combustion dangerous?
Because soot, unburned fuel and carbon monoxide is released
What are the 4 gases that are released in combustion…
- Carbon dioxide
- Sulfur dioxide
- Nitrogen
- Carbon monoxide
Sulfur dioxide causes …
Acid rain
What’s the name of the gas that causes acid rain?
Sulfur dioxide
When sulfur dioxide mixes with clouds it forms dilute ______ ____
Sulfuric acid
What does acid rain do? Why is it bad for the environment? name 2 things
- Causes lakes to become acidic
- And so many animals and plants die as a result
- Kills trees
- Damages limestone building
International agreements have been put in place to reduce ________ of air pollutants
Emissions
How can we reduce our Sulfur emission to stop things like acid rain? Name 2 ways
- Sulfur can be removed but it takes energy, usually from burning even more fuel
- Petrol and diesel are starting to be replaced by low-Sulfur versions
- Reduce our usage of fossil fuels
- Acid gas scrubbers take the harmful gases out before they release fumes into the atmosphere
What’s the name of the solid particles produced in partial combustion?
Particulates
How does increasing carbon dioxide affect climate change?
- the average temperature of the earth increases (global warming)
- this melts ice caps which can cause severe flooding
What is global warming?
Where the average temperature of the earth increases
Particles cause _______ ________
Global dimming
What is global dimming?
Where particles released such as soot are reflected back into space so there is LESS SUNLIGHT
Is global dimming scientifically proven?
Don’t think so
Why are renewable fuels better than non renewable? (2)
Because they will never run out and they are more environmentally friendly
Lost 3 alternative ways of powering cars…
Ethanol, biodiesel and hydrogen gas
What is ethanol made out of?
The fermentation of plants and it’s often mixed with petrol to make a better fuel
What is biodiesel made out of?
Made from vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil. It can be mixed with diesel to run a Diesel engine.
What is hydrogen has made out of?
Hydrogen which you can get from the electrolysis of water
Name one negative and one positive of using ethanol as a fuel?
A: The plant absorbs the CO2 when it was growing before it was burnt so it is carbon neutral.
D: engines have to be converted before they’ll work with ethanol fuels and it isn’t widely available
Name one negative and one positive of using biodiesel as a fuel?
A - engines don’t need to be converted, its carbon neutral
D - expensive to make, could increase food prices
Name one negative and one positive of using hydrogen gas as a fuel?
A - it’s very clean as hydrogen combines with oxygen
D - it isn’t widely available , you need a special engine, it’s hard to store
