Paper 2: Fuels And Atmospheric Science Flashcards

1
Q

What are hydrocarbons

A

Compounds that contain hydrogen and carbon atoms only

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is crude oil?

A
  • A complex mixture of hydrocarbons.
  • Contains molecules with rings or chains of carbon
    atoms.
  • An important source of useful substances like fuels
    and feedstocks for the petrochemical industry. - A finite resource.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

How can crude oil be separated?

A

Fractional distillation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

How does the process of fractional distillation work to separate crude oil?

A
  • Crude oil is vaporised before it enters a fractionating column.
  • The fractionating column is hotter at the bottom than at the top.
  • The vapours rise up and condense at different fractions depending on their boiling points.
  • Hydrocarbons with low boiling points will be tapped off the top of the column and hydrocarbons with high boiling points will be tapped off the bottom of the column.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Name the crude oil fractions and usages

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

How do hydrocarbons at each fraction differ?

A

Boiling points
Ease of ignition
Viscosity
The number of hydrogen and carbon atoms their molecules have

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Where in the fractionating column do hydrocarbons with highest viscosity condense?

A

Viscosity is how thick and sticky a substance is. (How easily it flows)

The hydrocarbons with the highest viscosity (like bitumen) are collected at the bottom of the fractionating column.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are the properties of hydrocarbons that are tapped from the top of the fractionating column, like petrol and gases

A

Low boiling point.

  • Highly volatile.
  • Easily ignited.
  • Shorter carbon chains (small molecules).
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is a homologous series?

A
Series of compounds which:
- Have the same general formula.
- Have similar chemical properties.
- Differ by CH2 in molecular formula form
neighbouring molecules.
- Slight variation in physical propertie
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Products from crude oil mostly belong to which homologous series?

A

Alkane homologous series.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are the only products when a hydrocarbon fuel undergoes complete combustion?

A

Water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

True or false?

Energy is given out when a fuel undergoes complete combustion

A

True

The reaction is exothermic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

When does incomplete combustion occur? What is required to ensure complete combustion occurs?

A

Incomplete combustion occurs when there is an insufficient supply of oxygen.
To ensure complete combustion occurs, the reaction should be carried out with excess oxygen

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are the products of incomplete combustion?

A

Carbon particulates - soot (C).
Carbon monoxide (CO).
Water (H2O).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are the problems with carbon monoxide?

A

Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas.
It is colourless and odourless and if breathed in can cause death by preventing the red blood cells from carrying oxygen around the body.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are the problems with incomplete combustion?

A

Produces carbon monoxide which is toxic and can be fatal if breathed in.
- Produces carbon particulates (soot) which cause global dimming and respiratory problems.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Why is sulfur dioxide sometimes produced when burning hydrocarbon fuels?

A

Some hydrocarbon fuels contain sulfur impurities. When the fuel is burned, the sulfur reacts with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide.

18
Q

How is acid rain produced?

A

Sulfur dioxide (produced when combusting impure hydrocarbon fuels) evaporates into the air. It reacts with water in the clouds to form sulfuric acid. This is ‘acid rain”

19
Q

What problems can acid rain cause?

A
  • Corrodes buildings and statues made of limestone.
  • Kills/damages the vegetation.
  • Lowers the pH of large bodies of water,
    killing the wildlife.
20
Q

How are oxides of nitrogen produced from car engines?

A

Car engines are “internal combustion” engines - fuel is mixed with air and ignited inside the engine. This causes temperatures high enough for nitrogen and oxygen in the air inside the engine to react together. Producing various oxides of nitrogen, NOx

21
Q

What problems are associated with oxides of nitrogen?

A
  • Pollutants.
  • Produce acid rain with similar effects
    as SO2.
  • Cause respiratory problems.
22
Q

What are the advantages of using hydrogen as a fuel in cars?

A
  • It releases more energy per kg compared to most other fuels.
  • Water is the only product so no pollutants.
  • Renewable source as hydrogen can be
    extracted from water
23
Q

What are the disadvantages of using hydrogen as a fuel in cars?

A
  • It is expensive to produce and a lot of energy is required for the electrolysis of water to acquire the hydrogen.
  • Difficult and dangerous to store hydrogen because it is very volatile and easily ignites.
24
Q

Name the non-renewable fossil fuel found in natural gas

A

Methane

25
Q

Are petrol, kerosene and diesel renewable fuels?

A

No, they are non-renewable. Found in crude oil

They are finite resources which are not being readily replaced

26
Q

What is cracking?

A

When Larger Saturated alkanes are broken down into shorter alkanes and short unsaturated alkenes (more useful)

27
Q

What do the terms saturated and unsaturated mean?

A

Saturated - only contains single bonds.

Unsaturated - contains some C=C double bonds.

28
Q

Why is cracking necessary?

A

The demand for shorter chain alkenes and alkanes is much greater than the demand for long chain alkanes

29
Q

What produced the gases that formed Earth’s early atmosphere?

A

Volcanic activity

30
Q

What was the Earth’s early atmosphere thought to contain?

A
  • Little or no oxygen.
  • Large amount of carbon dioxide. - Water vapour.
  • Small amounts of other gases.
31
Q

How did oceans initially form?

A

Condensation of water vapour

32
Q

How did the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere decrease after oceans formed?

A

Carbon dioxide dissolved into the oceans so the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere decreased.

33
Q

How did the amount of oxygen in the early Earth’s atmosphere increase?

A

The growth of primitive plants used carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and released oxygen. This increased the amount of oxygen and decreased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

34
Q

What is the chemical test for oxygen

A

Insert a glowing splint into a test tube of gas. If oxygen is present, the splint will ignite.

35
Q

What are greenhouse gases?

A

Various gases in the atmosphere (such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour) that absorb the heat radiated from Earth.

36
Q

What is the greenhouse effect?

A
  • Electromagnetic radiation from the sun passes through the Earth’s atmosphere.
  • The Earth absorbs some radiation and warms up.
  • Heat is radiated from the Earth as infrared radiation.
  • Some of the infrared radiation is absorbed by
    greenhouse gases (Methane, CO2 and H20 vapour) in the atmosphere which warms the atmosphere.
37
Q

How has human activity increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration?

A

Burning fossil fuels for energy releases carbon dioxide.

- Deforestation reduces the amount of photosynthesis occurring so less carbon dioxide is converted to oxygen.

38
Q

Evaluate the evidence that human activity is causing climate change

A
  • There is a correlation between carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, fossil fuel consumption and temperature change.
  • Correlation doesn’t mean causation.
  • There may be uncertainties in the data (e.g. location
    of the measurements and historical accuracy).
39
Q

What is the current composition of Earth’s atmosphere?

A

Nitrogen - 78% Oxygen - 21% Argon - 0.93% Carbon - 0.04%

40
Q

How has human activity increased the amount of methane in the atmosphere?

A
  • Raising livestock such as cows.

- Decay of organic waste in landfill site

41
Q

How can the effects of global warming be mitigated?

A
  • Construct flood defences in areas of low lying land.
  • Use of irrigation systems to provide water in drought.
  • Produce alternative crops which are better adapted to the new environment.