Environmental Problems

Question 1

Burning fossil fuels release [ ] and particles

Answer 1

Gases

Question 2

Which 2 things burn huge amounts of fossil fuels

Answer 2

Power stations and cars

Question 3

Pure [ ] can also be used as a fuel. It only produces [ ] when burnt

Answer 3

Hydrogen

water vapour

Question 4

Most fuels, such as crude oil and coal, contain [ ] and hydrogen. What happens during combustion?

Answer 4

carbon and hydrogen
The carbon and hydrogen are oxidised so that CO2 and water vapour are released into the atmosphere. Energy (heat) is also produced

Question 5

hydrocarbon + oxygen ->

Answer 5

carbon dioxide + water vapour

Question 6

If a fuel contains sulfur impurities, what is released when it burns?

Answer 6

sulfur dioxide

Question 7

What will form if a fuel is burnt at a high temperature?

Answer 7

Oxides of nitrogen

Question 8

What is complete combustion?

Answer 8

When there’s plenty of oxygen and all the fuel burns

Question 9

What is partial combustion? What is the problem with this?

Answer 9

If there’s not enough oxygen, some of the fuel doesn’t burn.
Under these conditions, solid particles (particulates) of soot (carbon) and unburnt fuel are released. Carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas) is also produced

Question 10

What gas causes acid rain?

Answer 10

Sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen

Question 11

How is acid rain ‘made’?

Answer 11

When sulfur dioxide mixes with clouds it forms dilute sufuric acid then it falls as acid rain.
In the same way, oxides of nitrogen cause acid rain by forming dilute nitric acid in clouds

Question 12

What does acid rain do to the environment?

Answer 12

Causes lakes to become acidic and many plants and animals die as a result.
Kills trees and damages limestone buildings and ruins stone statues.
Links between acid rain and human health problems have been suggested.

Question 13

If acid rain is so bad for the environment, why do we still burn fuels that cause it? Is anything being doing to prevent acid rain?

Answer 13

The benefits of electricity and travel have to be balanced against the environmental impacts. International agreements have been put in place to reduce emissions of air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide.

Question 14

Describe why we can / can’t remove sulfur from fuels

Answer 14

Most of the sulfur can be removed from fuels before they’re burnt but it costs more
Removing sulfur = more energy = comes from burning more fuel which releases more of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide
Petrol and diesel are starting to be replaced by low-sulfur versions

Question 15

How do you reduce acid rain?

Answer 15

Power stations now have Acid Gas Scrubbers to take harmful gases out before they release the fume into the atmosphere.
Or. Reduce our usage of fossil fuels

Question 16

Increasing carbon dioxide causes [ ]

Answer 16

Climate change

Question 17

The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is [ ] - because of the large amount of [ ] that we burn

Answer 17

increasing

fossil fuels

Question 18

The extra carbon dioxide has caused the average [ ] of the Earth to increase - [ ]

Answer 18

temperature

global warming

Question 19

Global warming is a type of [ ]

Answer 19

Climate change

Question 20

What can global warming cause?

Answer 20

Other types of climate change (changing rainfall patterns)

Severe flooding due to the polar ice caps melting

Question 21

What is global dimming.

Answer 21

Where less sunlight is reaching earth due to particles of soot and ash in the air.

Question 22

What causes global dimming?

Answer 22

Particles of soot and ash that are produced when fossil fuels are burnt. These particles reflect sunlight back into space or they can help produce more clouds that reflect sunlight back into space

Question 23

What are 3 alternative fuels to fossil fuels?

Answer 23

Ethanol, Biodiesel and Hydrogen gas

Question 24

Ethanol: Prodced/Made from, Uses

Answer 24

Can be produced from plant material ( = Biofuel) It’s made by fermentation of plants and is used to power cars in some places. It’s often mixed with petrol.

Question 25

Advantages of Ethanol?

Answer 25

Carbon Neutral - The CO2 released when its burnt was taken in by the plant as it grew. The only other product is water

Question 26

Disadvantages of Ethanol?

Answer 26

Engines need to be converted before they’ll work with ethanol fuels.
Ethanol fuel isn’t widely available.
There are worries that as demand for it increases farmers will switch from growing fuel crops to growing crops to make ethanol - increase in food prices

Question 27

Biodiesel: Prodced/Made from, Uses

Answer 27

Another type of biofuel. Can be produced from vegetable oils (eg, rapeseed and soybean oil). Can be mixed with ordinary diesel fuel and to run a diesel engine

Question 28

Advantages of Biodiesel?

Answer 28

‘Carbon neutral’
Engines don’t need to be converted
Produces much less sulfur dioxide and ‘particulates’ than normal petrol/diesel

Question 29

Disadvantages of Biodiesel?

Answer 29

We can’t make enough to replace diesel
Expensive to make
Could increase food prices like ethanol

Question 30

Hydrogen gas: Prodced/Made from, Uses

Answer 30

Can be used to power vehicles.
Get the hydrogen from the electrolysis of water - there’s plenty of water but it takes electrical energy to split up (this energy can come from a renewable source)

Question 31

Advantages of Hydrogen gas?

Answer 31

Hydrogen combines with oxygen in air to form water - very clean

Question 32

Disadvantages of Hydrogen gas?

Answer 32

Need a special expensive engine. Hydrogen isn’t widely available.
You still need to use energy from another source to make hydrogen and it’s hard to store (explosive)