COMBUSTION Flashcards
What happens if you burn alkanes in plenty of oxygen? (1)
if you burn alkanes (and other hydrocarbons) with plenty of oxygen you get carbon dioxide and water. (complete combustion)
what is complete combustion? (1)
when fuels burn in plenty of oxygen.
what is incomplete combustion? (1)
when fuels burn when there is not enough oxygen.
what are the products of incomplete combustion? (2)
carbon monoxide and carbon (soot)
what is carbon monoxide? (2)
carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas, these molecules bind to the same sites on haemoglobin molecules in red blood cells as oxygen molecules, so oxygen cannot be carried around the body.
how can carbon monoxide be removed? (1)
carbon monoxide can be removed from exhaust gases by catalytic converters on cars.
what is carbon (soot)? (1)
soot is thought to cause breathing problems, it can also build up in engines meaning they don’t work properly.
what does burning fossil fuels produce? (1)
carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas.
why are greenhouse gases bad? (1)
the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere absorb infrared energy (heat) the emit some of the energy back towards earth keeping it warm (the greenhouse effect)
how are nitrogen oxides produced? (1)
when the high pressure and temperature in a car engine cause the nitrogen and oxygen atoms from the air to react together.
what is the main component to smog? (1)
hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides react in the presence of sunlight to form ground-level ozone which contributes to smog.
what is ground-level ozone? (1)
ground-level ozone irritates people eyes aggravates respiratory problems and can cause lung damage.
how is sulphur dioxide produced? (1)
when fossil fuels burnt the sulphur reacts to form sulphur dioxide gas.
what is sulphur dioxide? (1)
once in the atmosphere, it dissolves the moisture and is converted to sulphuric acid (acid rain)
why is acid rain a problem? (1)
acid rain destroys trees and vegetation as well as corroding buildings, statues etc
