Unit 3 Chemistry - Fuels & energy from fuels (Early Commencement Program)

renewable

A natural resource that can be replaced (by natural resources) at the same rate or faster than consumed

non-renewable

Cannot be replaced (by natural processes) at the same rate or faster than consumed

sustainable

Able to meet the energy demands of society now and in the future

unsustainable

Cannot meet the energy demands of society now and in the future

fuel

A substance that contains stored chemical energy that can be released relatively easily

biofuel

a fuel derived from recently living organic matter.

Anaerobic

a process that occurs in the absence of oxygen

Biodiesel

A fuel derived from vegetable oil or animal fat, consisting of long-chain methyl esters.

Bioethanol

Ethanol that is made by fermenting the sugar and starch components of plants using yeast.

Biogas

A mixture of gases (methane and carbon dioxide) produced by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen.

energy efficiency

The percentage of total energy that is converted into the desired form of energy.

energy

The ability to do work or cause change

Enhanced greenhouse gas effect

An increase in temperature of the Earth's surface due to an increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as a result of human activity

fossil fuel

A fuel that is produced from ancient plants, animals and microorganisms that have been buried under rock, mud and sand for millions of years.

Fractional distillation

the separation of components of a mixture based on their boiling points, which is indicative of their chain lengths

Fracking

the process of injecting water, sand and chemicals at high pressure into coal or rock to fracture it and release trapped natural gas

liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)

Mixture of liquefied propane (C3H8) and butane (C4H10) gas removed from natural gas and used as a fuel.

carbon neutral

A process that absorbs the same amount of carbon as it generates. The carbon dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere by a carbon neutral process compensates for the carbon dioxide produced by the process.

Photosynthesis

the chemical process by which oxygen and glucose are produced in plant cells in the presence of UV light

combustion reaction

a chemical change in which an element or a fuel reacts with oxygen, often producing carbon dioxide, water and energy in the form of heat

System

the chemical reaction

surroundings

everything outside the system that can exchange energy and/or matter with the system

exothermic reaction

a chemical reaction that releases energy to its surroundings

endothermic reaction

a chemical reaction that absorbs energy from its surroundings

thermochemical equation

a balanced chemical equation that includes the amount of heat produced or absorbed during the reaction

Energy profile diagram

A diagram that shows the energy changes during the course of a reaction.

Enthalpy

the chemical energy of a substance

enthalpy change

the amount of energy absorbed or lost by a system (chemical reaction) as heat

activation energy (Ea)

the minimum amount of energy required to break bonds in the reactants and initiate a chemical reaction

Complete combustion

A combustion reaction in which the only products are carbon dioxide and water

Incomplete combustion

The process by which a fuel burns in insufficient oxygen to produce carbon monoxide (CO) and water as products

heat of combustion

the energy released as heat by the complete combustion of one mole of a substance

Energy density of a fuel

the ratio of the energy released from the fuel to the volume of the fuel consumed

kinetic energy

the energy an object has due to its motion