Environmental Problems Flashcards
What is 90% of crude oil used as?
A fuel
How is crude oil used as a fuel?
It is burnt to release the energy stored inside it
What are the 2 most prevalent things to burn crude oil as a fuel? What for?
- Power stations - electricity
- Cars - power engines
What other substance can be burned as a fuel?
Pure hydrogen
What is an advantage of using pure hydrogen as a fuel instead of crude oil?
Water vapour is the only substance produced from burning hydrogen
Crude oil produces other problematic substances
What do most fuels (e.g. iol and coil) contain? (2)
- Carbon
- Hydrogen
What happens when oil or coal combust?
The carbon and hydrogen oxidise to form carbon dioxide and water vapour
Equation for the oxidisation of hydrogen and carbon in combustion of fossil fuels
hydrogen + oxygen -> carbon dioxide + water vapour (+ heat energy)
What 3 things are produced when fossil fuels combust?
Heat energy
What happens to the carbon dioxide and water vapour produced during the oxidisation of hydrogen and carbon?
They are released into the atmosphere
If a fuel has sulfur impurities, what else will be produced when it combusts?
Sulfur dioxide
What else will be formed if a fuel combusts at a high temperature?
Oxides of nitrogen
What happens when there’s plenty of oxygen when a fuel burns - what is this called?
ALL the fuel burns
Complete combustion
What happens if there’s not enough oxygen during the combustion of fossil fuels?
What is this called?
NOT all the fuel burns
Partial combustion