C1 Flashcards
Name three properties of fossil fuels.
- Formed naturally - over millions of years
- Finite & non-renewable - used far faster than can be supplied
- Easily extracted
Give three example of types of fossil fuels.
- Crude oil
- Natural gas
- Coal
Problems with transporting crude oil, found in the earth’s crust and pumped to the surface, via pipelines or oil tankers?
- Accidents cause spills
- Oil floats on the sea’s surface as a slick and damages wildlife and beaches
- For example, it can stick birds wings together
- Detergents are used to break up oil slicks but these chemicals are toxic and harm or kill wildlife
Different hydrocarbons have different boiling point which means crude can be…
Separated into useful fractions (parts) that contain mixtures of the hydrocarbons with similar boiling points. This is known as fractional distillation.
During fraction distillation, crude oil is heated in a fractionating column which has a temperature gradient makes it hotter at the bottom than at the top. Where do fractions with high and low boiling points leave?
(4 points)
- Fractions with low boiling points leave at the top of the column
- Fractions with high boiling points leave at the bottom of the fractionating column
- Lower boiling point = short chain hydrocarbon
- Higher boiling point = long chain hydrocarbon
What two groups do hydrocarbons fit into?
- Alkanes - saturated, single bond
2. Alkenes - unsaturated, double bond
Large alkane molecules can be broken down into smaller, more useful alkane and alkene molecules (known as cracking). What things does this process need?
- Catalyst
- High temperature
- High pressure
- Under atmospheric pressure
What is a product from naphtha though cracking?
- Petrol
* It can be used to make alkene molecules that may be used to make polymers
Why is cracking so useful? (Make reference to demand and pressure on limited resources)
- Isn’t enough petrol in crude oil to meet demand
* Cracking changes parts of crude oil that can’t be used in additional petrol
Complications surrounding extraction of oil.
- Companies have to work with lots of different countries to extract the oil
- Very valuable resource and can be a source of conflict and target for terrorism
The forces in a hydrocarbon molecule are:
- strong covalent bonds between the atoms in a molecule
* weak intermolecular forces
How does the strength of the forces between hydrocarbons affect its properties?
- longer hydrocarbon = stronger intermolecular forces
- When a liquid hydrocarbon is boiled, its molecules move faster and faster until all intermolecular forces are broken and it becomes a gas
- The bigger the molecules the stronger force of attraction between them
Define: complete combustion (BLUE FLAME)
• When fuels react with oxygen (in air), they burn and release useful heat energy. This is called combustion, and it needs a plentiful supply of oxygen.
What does a complete combustion of a hydrocarbon produce?
Show the word and symbol equation for complete combustion of methane.
- Carbon dioxide
- methane + oxygen —> carbon dioxide and water
- CH4(g) + 2O2(g) —> CO2(g) + 2H2O(l)
Define: incomplete combustion (YELLOW FLAME)
• When fuels burn without enough oxygen, incomplete combustion occurs. Some heat energy is released but not as much as would be through complete combustion.
What does incomplete combustion produce?
• Carbon monoxide - a poisonous gas which is why gas appliances should be serviced regularly
Give the word and symbol equation for incomplete combustion of methane.
- methane + oxygen —> carbon monoxide + water
* 2CH4(g) + 3O2(g) —> 2CO2(g) + 4H20(l)
When very little oxygen is present, what does the incomplete combustion of a hydrocarbon produce?
Show this with an example of methane.
- Carbon (soot) and water
- methane + oxygen —> carbon + water
- CH4(g) + O2 (g) —> C(s) + 2H20(l)
What is a common test for the presence of carbon dioxide?
• Limewater - it turns milky if carbon dioxide is present
Factors affecting your choice of fuel. (7 points)
- Energy value - how much energy is released per gram of fuel?
- Availability - how easy is it to obtain the fuel
- Ease of storage - how practical/easy is it to store the fuel?
- Toxicity - is the fuel (or combustion products) poisonous?
- Pollution - do the combustion products cause pollution?
- Ease of use - is it easy to control and is special equipment needed?
Why when using a fuel would complete combustion be desirable?
- Less soot is produced
- More heat energy is released
- No carbon monoxide is made
What is contributing to the growing demand for fossil fuels?
- Industrialisation of countries such as India and China.
* Growing population
Today, clean dry air contains:
- 78% nitrogen
- 21% oxygen
- 1% other gases - including around 0.035% carbon dioxide
How are levels of gas in the atmosphere controlled? (Carbon & nitrogen cycle)
- Respiration
- Combustion
- Photosynthesis
What two processes decrease oxygen levels and increase carbon dioxide levels?
- Respiration
* Combustion
What does photosynthesis do to carbon dioxide and oxygen levels?
- They take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen
* Photosynthesis and respiration balance out, so levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the air stay almost the same
What did the earliest atmosphere contain?
- Ammonia and carbon dioxide
* These gases came from the inside the Earth and were released through volcanoes
How did the development of plants changes the level of gases in the atmosphere?
• Photosynthesis began and reduced levels of carbon dioxide and increased the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere
State the surrender theory as to how the Earth’s atmosphere evolved.
1) Hot, volcanic Earth released gases from the crust into the atmosphere. So, initial atmosphere was made up of ammonia, carbon dioxide and water vapour.
2) The Earth cooled, surface temperature gradually fell to 100°C and the water vapour condensed to from liquid water. Newly formed oceans removed some carbon dioxide by dissolving the gas
3) The levels of nitrogen in the atmosphere increased as the nitrifying bacteria released nitrogen. This gas is relatively unreactive.
4) Oxygen levels in the atmosphere increase with the development of primitive plants that could photosynthesise. This removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and added oxygen.
How is sulphur dioxide produced and what damage does it do to the environment?
• Made when fossil fuels that contain sulphur impurities are burned.
• Causes acid rain which:
- kills plants and aquatic life
- erodes stonework and corrodes ironwork
How is carbon monoxide formed?
• Poisonous gas formed from incomplete combustion in a car engine
How are oxides of nitrogen formed?
- Formed in car engines, they cause photochemical smog and acid rain
- Nitrogen and oxygen from the air react in the hot car engine to make nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)