Chapter 8 Flashcards
How does the burning of fossil fuel work
it converts chemical potential energy into thermal energy, which is then converted into other useful forms like electricity
What does it mean to use energy
to transform energy from one form to another
When electric current travels through power lines how much of it is converted into thermal energy
10%
What are the three fossil fuels
Coal, petroleum, and natural gas
How are fossil fuels formed
Fossil fuels are formed from the decay of ancient plant and animal life from millions of years under pressure and heat
What happens in a combustion reaction
Carbon and hydrogen atoms combine with oxygen in the air to form carbon dioxide and water
list natural gas, wood, coal, and petroleum by which one has the most energy content
Natural gas, Petroleum, coal, wood
What is Petroleum
a flammable liquid formed from the decay of ancient organisms, such as microscopic plankton and algae
What is Petroleum made of
a mixture of thousands of chemical compounds. Most of these compounds are hydro-carbon
What is the process the separates different hydrocarbons found in petroleum
Fractional distillation
How does fractional distillation separate the different compounds in petroleum
Fraction distillation happens in a distillation tower where the petroleum at the bottom is heated up and the materials with the lowest boiling points rise to the top of the tower and the ones with higher boiling points are drained from the bottom.
What are some ways petroleum is used
plastics, synthetic fibers, transportation fuels, wax-based products, asphalt, and medicines
The chemical processes that produce petroleum are the same that produce natural gas the only difference is what?
that to form natural gas there must be more pressure and heat.
what is natural gas
a fossil fuel composed mostly of the gas methane but also contains propane and butane
what fossil fuel burns the cleanest
Natural gas
