Chapter 11

Question 1

What are the main uses of crude oil

Answer 1

1.Transportation
2. Energy sectors ( electricity generation)
3. Producing plastics

Question 2

Explain the process of evaporation

Answer 2

Energy is added to liquid causing to to heat up and reach its boiling point, more energy is added and eventually the bonds are broken causing a change in state from liquid to gas

Question 3

Explain the process of condensation

Answer 3

A gas has energy removed from it when the temperature is reduced to the boiling point. Energy continues to be removed causing bonds to be made between molecules. The material is changing state from a gas to a liquid at the same temperature. As the material continues to lose energy it is in the liquid state and the temperature falls

Question 4

What does crude oil extracted from the ground consist of

Answer 4

Hydrocarbon molecules

Question 5

How does the length of hydrocarbons affect its physical properties

Answer 5

Short hydrocarbons are more volatile and make better fuels
Long hydrocarbon are less volatile resulting in poorer fuels

Question 6

Explain the process of fractional distillation

Answer 6

Crude oil is heated upon entry to a heating furnace such that all lengths of hydrocarbons are evaporated into a gaseous state.
The hydrocarbons then enter the fractioning tower. Some of the longer hydrocarbons are condensed at the very bottom of the tower and become residue that can be used for road surfacing. All the hydrocarbons then rise up the tower and at certain points change from gas to liquid and fall out due to gravity

Question 7

What are the 8 byproducts of fractional distillation in order

Answer 7

1. Residue- bitumen
2. Fuel oil- heating oil
3. Lubricating oil- engine oil
4. Diesel- Diesel engines
5. Kerosene- aeroplane fuel
6. Naphtha- plastics
7. Petrol- petrol engines
8. Propane and butane

Question 8

What is the main problem with plastics derived from crude oil

Answer 8

Take decades to break down naturally meaning they cause pollution and can destroy environment

Question 9

How can we protect the environment from plastic pollution

Answer 9

Increase the quantities of plastic recycled
Make plastics degrade quicker

Question 10

Why is burning plastic not a viable option to get rid of it

Answer 10

It releases harmful substances such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and hydrochloric acid

Question 11

State 2 uses of biodegradable plastics and describe them

Answer 11

1. Food packaging
   2.plastic films- used to reduce number of weeds in crops and increases crop yield also prevents excessive water loss through evaporation

Question 12

State 2 uses of photodegrading plastics

Answer 12

1. Plastic films- can increase crop yields and reduce the number of weeds also reduce water loss through evaporation
2. Slow release fertiliser- adds nutrients to crops

Question 13

What is meant by biodegradable plastics

Answer 13

These are plastics that are designed to break up when exposed to natural micro-organisms. They are usually made from natural byproducts.

Question 14

What is meant by photodegrading plastics

Answer 14

These are plastics that degrade quicker due to uv rays due to the manufacturing process being altered

Question 15

What type of plastic degrades quicker in the presence of oxygen

Answer 15

Oxo biodegradable plastics

Question 16

How can plastics be made more degradeable due to thermal and photodegredation

Answer 16

During the manufacturing process chemicals can be added to the long chain hydrocarbon molecules. These chemical break down easier when exposed to UV light. When broken down they attack the hydrocarbon polymer and break it down.

Question 17

What are 3 uses of compostable plastics

Answer 17

Can be used to improve soil composition as they contain useful nutrients that the soil can absorb
Can be used as plastic film to cover crops, this increases crop yield and decreases the amount of weeds
Can be used as plastic film to maintain higher temperature in winter and conserve moisture

Question 18

What does BPE stand for and how is it manufactured

Answer 18

Bioderived polyethylene
It is manufactured by using a starchy substance such as maze or corn that is treated with yeast to produce ethanol by fermentation. Ethanol is purified and undergoes dehydration to form ethene. Ethene undergoes addition polymerisation to form bioderived polyethylene

Question 19

How can we make the manufacturing of plastics more sustainable

Answer 19

In the manufacturing process we can use things like plants and other resources in stead of fossil fuels that pollute the atmosphere
We can also make the plastics more biodegradable by adding additives like d2w that cause the plastic to degrade quicker when exposed to oxygen. Or chemicals that degrade quicker and break the hydrocarbon bonds when exposed to UV LIGHT
We can also use bio plastics that don’t need crude oil to be produced this will increase the lifespan of crude oil and means there are no issues when extracting crude oil from volatile nations

Question 20

How can we make the use of plastics more sustainable

Answer 20

We can cut down on the use of single use plastics and reuse them more thus means there will be less pollution in the environment
We can also recycle more plastic and give it another use. Effective recycling reduces the need for more crude oil or biomass. It also reduces the plastic to landfill and our oceans