Crude oil and other sources of fuel is one of the topics studied in GCSE Science. This is the third of six quizzes on that subject and it looks specifically at the pollution caused by fuels.
We have the Industrial Revolution to thank for the quality of life that we enjoy today. If it wasn't for fossil fuels, the Industrial Revolution would probably not have happened. Before the Industrial Revolution, charcoal was the main fuel. It is made by heating wood in conditions of low oxygen. As the Industrial Revolution got underway, more and more coal was needed to fuel steam engines and furnaces. The development of factories and improvements to the steam engines caused further increase in the demand for coal. In the middle of the 19th Century, oil lamps were still powered by whale oil which was very expensive. In Derbyshie, a scientist discovered how to distil a substitute, kerosene.
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About 10 years later, people started drilling for oil in Texas, USA, and found plenty. Fractional distillation of this crude oil revealed many other chemicals that could be used as fuels and it wasn't long until the first engines were made that burnt the petrol, or gasoline, fraction. Later, engines that ran on other fractions were developed, including the jet engine.
Crude oil and coal are both formed from ancient biomasses found in rocks. Coal formed from trees and plants that grew in swampy warm forests and crude oil formed from the remains of dead sea plants and sea creatures. Since they were formed millions of years ago, they are called fossil fuels.
Pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels has been recognised for some time. Here in the 21st Century, we still use coal and fuels from oil but have also begun to develop biofuels. Biofuels are produced from plant material and by allowing plants and animal dung to rot down, producing 'biogas'. They are therefore potentially renewable. But whatever the source of our fuels, they create pollution. Fossil fuels release carbon dioxide that has been locked away for millions of years. Many scientists believe that this is creating problems with our climate and causing global warming.
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1.
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One of the pollutants from burning fossil fuels is carbon dioxide. To which of the following environmental issues does it contribute? |
|
[ ] |
The hole in the ozone layer |
[ ] |
Acid rain |
[ ] |
Global dimming |
[ ] |
Global warming |
|
|
2.
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What are biofuels? |
|
[ ] |
Fuels made from animals |
[ ] |
Fuels made only from plants |
[ ] |
Fuels made from any living thing or its waste |
[ ] |
Fuels made only from animal dung |
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3.
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Why is carbon dioxide from fossil fuels a particular issue? |
|
[ ] |
It is slightly radioactive |
[ ] |
It is more polluting than the carbon dioxide breathed out by animals |
[ ] |
Plants can't absorb it |
[ ] |
It was locked away millions of years ago and so is adding to that which is present in the air today |
|
|
4.
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Why is burning biofuels less of a problem than burning fossil fuels? |
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[ ] |
They don't produce any CO2 when they burn |
[ ] |
They are renewable and don't release carbon locked away millions of years ago |
[ ] |
They are cheaper and easier to produce when compared to fossil fuels |
[ ] |
All of the above |
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5.
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Which one of the following could be an ethical argument against growing plants for biofuels? |
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[ ] |
Farmers would earn more money |
[ ] |
You need a lot more people to produce biofuels than fossil fuels |
[ ] |
It could make fuel prices lower |
[ ] |
It could increase food prices or cause food shortages |
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|
6.
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Which impurity in fuels causes acid rain when it burns? |
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[ ] |
Carbon |
[ ] |
Hydrogen |
[ ] |
Soot |
[ ] |
Sulfur |
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7.
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Which of the following is a balanced equation that shows how sulfur dioxide is formed? |
|
[ ] |
S + O → SO |
[ ] |
S + 2O → S2O |
[ ] |
S + O2 → SO2 |
[ ] |
2S + O2 → 2SO2 |
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8.
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Apart from sulfur, what else from burning fuels is a major contributor to acid rain? |
|
[ ] |
Carbon monoxide |
[ ] |
Di-hydrogen oxide |
[ ] |
Unburnt fuel |
[ ] |
Nitogen oxides |
|
|
9.
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Which of the following might be directly caused by burning fuels? |
|
[ ] |
Respiratory system problems |
[ ] |
Bladder problems |
[ ] |
Broken bones |
[ ] |
Indigestion |
|
|
10.
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Which of the following products of burning fuels could be responsible for global dimming? |
|
[ ] |
Tiny solid particles |
[ ] |
Water vapour |
[ ] |
Carbon dioxide |
[ ] |
Nitrogen oxides |
|
|
1.
|
One of the pollutants from burning fossil fuels is carbon dioxide. To which of the following environmental issues does it contribute? |
|
[ ] |
The hole in the ozone layer |
[ ] |
Acid rain |
[ ] |
Global dimming |
[x] |
Global warming |
|
|
2.
|
What are biofuels? |
|
[ ] |
Fuels made from animals |
[ ] |
Fuels made only from plants |
[x] |
Fuels made from any living thing or its waste |
[ ] |
Fuels made only from animal dung |
|
|
3.
|
Why is carbon dioxide from fossil fuels a particular issue? |
|
[ ] |
It is slightly radioactive |
[ ] |
It is more polluting than the carbon dioxide breathed out by animals |
[ ] |
Plants can't absorb it |
[x] |
It was locked away millions of years ago and so is adding to that which is present in the air today |
|
|
4.
|
Why is burning biofuels less of a problem than burning fossil fuels? |
|
[ ] |
They don't produce any CO2 when they burn |
[x] |
They are renewable and don't release carbon locked away millions of years ago |
[ ] |
They are cheaper and easier to produce when compared to fossil fuels |
[ ] |
All of the above |
|
|
5.
|
Which one of the following could be an ethical argument against growing plants for biofuels? |
|
[ ] |
Farmers would earn more money |
[ ] |
You need a lot more people to produce biofuels than fossil fuels |
[ ] |
It could make fuel prices lower |
[x] |
It could increase food prices or cause food shortages |
|
|
6.
|
Which impurity in fuels causes acid rain when it burns? |
|
[ ] |
Carbon |
[ ] |
Hydrogen |
[ ] |
Soot |
[x] |
Sulfur |
|
|
7.
|
Which of the following is a balanced equation that shows how sulfur dioxide is formed? |
|
[ ] |
S + O → SO |
[ ] |
S + 2O → S2O |
[x] |
S + O2 → SO2 |
[ ] |
2S + O2 → 2SO2 |
|
|
8.
|
Apart from sulfur, what else from burning fuels is a major contributor to acid rain? |
|
[ ] |
Carbon monoxide |
[ ] |
Di-hydrogen oxide |
[ ] |
Unburnt fuel |
[x] |
Nitogen oxides |
|
|
9.
|
Which of the following might be directly caused by burning fuels? |
|
[x] |
Respiratory system problems |
[ ] |
Bladder problems |
[ ] |
Broken bones |
[ ] |
Indigestion |
|
|
10.
|
Which of the following products of burning fuels could be responsible for global dimming? |
|
[x] |
Tiny solid particles |
[ ] |
Water vapour |
[ ] |
Carbon dioxide |
[ ] |
Nitrogen oxides |
|
|