Coal and Petroleum

Twenty question-and-answer flashcards covering key points about coal, petroleum, natural gas, their formation, uses and conservation.

How are natural resources broadly classified and what is the main difference between the two categories?

They are classified as inexhaustible (present in unlimited quantity and not likely to run out) and exhaustible (limited in amount and can be depleted by human activities).

Give two examples each of inexhaustible and exhaustible natural resources.

Inexhaustible: sunlight, air. Exhaustible: coal, petroleum (also natural gas, minerals, forests).

What name is given to fuels formed from the dead remains of living organisms? List three examples.

They are called fossil fuels; examples include coal, petroleum and natural gas.

What classroom activity with popcorn or peanuts illustrates the concept of exhaustible resources, and what lesson does it teach?

Groups of students (generations) successively consume items from a single container, showing that early over-consumption can leave little or nothing for later generations, illustrating how exhaustible resources can run out.

Describe how coal was formed and name the process responsible for its formation.

About 300 million years ago dense forests were buried under soil; increasing pressure and temperature slowly converted the dead vegetation into coal in a process called carbonisation.

Why is coal referred to as a fossil fuel?

Because it originated from the fossilised remains of ancient vegetation.

Mention three uses of coal, past or present.

Cooking fuel, producing steam in old railway engines, generating electricity in thermal power plants, and as fuel in various industries.

Name the three main products obtained from processing coal and state one use for each.

Coke (used in steel manufacture and metal extraction), coal tar (source of dyes, drugs, plastics, etc.), and coal gas (fuel for nearby industries).

What are the physical characteristics of coke and why is it industrially valuable?

Coke is tough, porous, and almost pure carbon; its high carbon content makes it essential in steel production and metal extraction.

When and where was coal gas first used for street lighting?

It was first used in London in 1810 and in New York around 1820.

Explain the origin of the word "petroleum" and where this resource is located underground.

"Petroleum" comes from Latin petra (rock) and oleum (oil); it is found trapped between layers of rock beneath Earth’s surface.

Summarise the formation of petroleum.

Dead marine organisms were buried under sand and clay on the sea floor; over millions of years, high pressure, high temperature and lack of air transformed them into petroleum and natural gas.

What is meant by refining of petroleum and where does it take place?

Refining is the process of separating petroleum into its constituent fractions; it is carried out in a petroleum refinery.

List four important constituents of petroleum and give one primary use for each.

LPG (domestic/industrial fuel), petrol (motor and aviation fuel), kerosene (stove, lamp and jet fuel), diesel (fuel for heavy vehicles and generators).

Why is petroleum often called "black gold"?

Because of its high commercial value and the many useful substances (petrochemicals) derived from it.

What are petrochemicals, and name three everyday products made from them.

Petrochemicals are useful substances obtained from petroleum or natural gas; they are used to make detergents, synthetic fibres (polyester, nylon, acrylic) and plastics such as polythene.

In what form is natural gas commonly stored for transport, and why is it considered a cleaner fuel?

It is stored as compressed natural gas (CNG); it produces less pollution than many other fossil fuels.

Mention two regions in India where significant natural gas deposits have been found.

Examples include Tripura, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and the Krishna-Godavari delta.

State four fuel-saving tips promoted by the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA).

Drive at a constant moderate speed, switch off the engine at traffic stops, maintain correct tyre pressure and ensure regular vehicle maintenance.

Why can’t coal, petroleum and natural gas be manufactured in a laboratory?

Their formation requires millions of years under specific natural conditions of pressure and temperature that cannot be replicated in the laboratory.