Choosing fuels

Question 1

What is energy?

Answer 1

The ability to do ‘work’.

Measured in joules.

Question 2

How is a fossil fuel formed?

Answer 2

Formed from the decayed remains of once living organisms that have been buried for millions of years and have been subjected to heat and pressure.

Question 3

What is the total energy of an object?

Answer 3

The sum of its potential and kinetic energy.

Question 4

What are the 2 laws of energy?

Answer 4

• energy is neither created nor destroyed

- the quantity of energy remains the same in the universe, the usability of it gets worse

Question 5

What is efficiency?

Answer 5

Efficiency is a measure of how much energy is conserved in a process.
% efficiency= output/ input x 100%

Question 6

What is a non-renewable fuel?

Answer 6

Fuels that are used up by society faster than they can be produced.

Question 7

Examples of non-renewable fuels.

Answer 7

Fossil fuels and nuclear power.

Question 8

What is a renewable fuel?

Answer 8

Fuels that can be produced faster than they are used up by society.

Question 9

What are examples of renewable fuels?

Answer 9

Solar energy, hydroelectricity, wind power, biofuels.

Question 10

What are examples of fossil fuels and how much are they used in society?

Answer 10

Fossil fuels are the most used fuel in Australia.

eg. coal, petroleum, natural gas.

Question 11

Describe coal.

Answer 11

Coal is a fossil fuel, consisting of C, H, O, N, S

It can be produced by a process called destructive distillation.

Question 12

Describe petroleum.

Answer 12

Fossil fuel containing many different hydrocarbons. must be refined before use. Octane is main component.

Question 13

Describe LPG.

Answer 13

Liquified petroleum gas is a hydrocarbon fuel (propane and butane).
Its nontoxic, Pb free, heavier than air.

Question 14

Describe natural gas.

Answer 14

Fossil fuel- source of alkanes.

Its lighter than air, explosive in certain conc. and coloured for safety reasons.

Question 15

Describe coal seam gas.

Answer 15

Fossil fuel similar to natural gas but consists of mainly methane.
Extracted by drilling deep wells.

Question 16

What is a biofuel?

Answer 16

Fuels derived from biomass.

Question 17

What is biomass?

Answer 17

Biological matter obtained form plants/ animals used to generate electricity/ power.

Question 18

How is bioethanol obtained?

Answer 18

Fermentation of sugar from sources such as wheat starch and molasses.

Question 19

How is biodiesel obtained?

Answer 19

Produced from vegetable oil or animal fats combined with an alcohol. Process is called trans-esterfication.

Question 20

What is trans-esterification?

Answer 20

.

Question 21

What pollutant does biodiesel mainly emit?

Answer 21

Nitrogen oxides.

Question 22

How is biogas obtained?

Answer 22

Produced form bacterial breakdown of organic material (waste) int he absence of oxygen.

Question 23

How is petrodiesel produced?

Answer 23

Fractional distillation of crude oil.

Question 24

Is petrodiesela renewable or non-renewable fuel?

Answer 24

Non-renewable fuel.

Question 25

What are the advantages of using biofuels?

Answer 25

• produced on large scale
• produced lower emissions of pollutants
• renewable fuel

Question 26

What bio fuel is a great lubricant?

Answer 26

Biodiesel.

Question 27

What are the disadvantages of using biofuels?

Answer 27

• requires large areas of lands
• not suitable for cold climates
• produces less energy/ g (bioethanol)
• high cost of processing

Question 28

What are the conditions needed for trans-esterfication to occur?

Answer 28

.