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Fossil fuels are sediments of organic materials such as dead plants and animals that were buried beneath thousands of feet of scrap.
- Based on the intense pressure and heat inside the earth's crust, these elements decomposed over time and were changed into coal, natural gas, and petroleum.
- They are also introduced as non-renewable energy resources since they take a long time to recharge.
- There are three types of fossil fuels: Natural Gas, Coal, and Petroleum.
- The use of fossil fuels is increasing rapidly, which implies that once we have exhausted all of these sources, we will need to rely on other energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower to meet our daily needs.
The advantages of using fossil fuels are
- It is possible to generate large amounts of electricity at a single location using fossil fuels.
- They are cost-effective.
- They can be found very easily
- Despite being a limited resource, it is abundant.
- Easy to transport
Very Short Answers Questions [1 Mark Questions]
Ques. The primary composition of coal is
- Oxygen
- Nitrogen
- Hydrogen
- Carbon
Ans. The correct answer is d. Carbon
Explanation: Coal is a naturally occurring fossil fuel that is created by the anaerobic decomposition of plant life over millions of years. Coal mining is used to obtain it from the ground. Coal has a main component of carbon and a secondary composition of nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen.
Ques. The most abundantly available fossil fuel in India is
- Coal
- Petroleum
- Natural Gas
- Oil
Ans. The correct answer is a. Coal
Explanation: In India, coal is the most abundant fossil fuel. There are four types of coal available: peat, bituminous, lignite, and anthracite.
Ques. Which among the following is not a non-renewable source of energy?
- Petroleum
- Coal
- Solar energy
- Natural gas
Ans. The correct answer is c. Solar energy
Explanation: Since the sun continuously produces the light necessary to generate electricity in a solar panel, solar energy is considered a renewable resource.
Ques. Fossil fuels are
- Renewable source of energy
- Non-renewable source of energy
Ans. The correct answer is b. Non-renewable source of energy
Explanation: The formation of fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, and natural gases takes millions of years. If these fuels are depleted today, they will not be developed immediately. Therefore, they are referred to be non-renewable energy sources.
Ques. Black gold is referred to as
- Solar energy
- Coal
- Natural gas
- Petroleum
Ans. The correct answer is d. Petroleum
Explanation: Petroleum is also known as "Black Gold" because crude oil is black when recovered from the ground. Because of its oil and value, it is referred to as gold.
Short Answers Questions [2 Marks Questions]
Ques. What is fossil fuel?
Ans. Fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing substance generated naturally in the Earth's crust from the remnants of deceased plants and animals that are extracted and burnt as fuel.
Ques. How are fossil fuels formed?
Ans. Fossil fuels are composed of decayed plants and animals that have been exposed to heat and pressure in the earth's crust for hundreds of millions of years, converting them to crude oil, coal, natural gas, or heavy oils.
Ques. Why is LPG considered a good fuel?
Ans. LPG is considered a good fuel because
- The calorific value of LPG is high. LPG has a calorific value of roughly 50 kJ/g.
- It is an extremely neat and clean residential fuel. It produces no pollution since it burns with a smokeless flame.
- LPG is simple to transport and store.
- It does not emit any dangerous gases when burned.
Ques. What is Fracking?
Ans. It is a type of drilling method used to extract petroleum or crude oil from shale rock. Sand, water, and various chemicals are forced against the rock under high pressure, forcing the gas to flow out towards the well's head.
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Long Answers Questions [3 Marks Questions]
Ques. What are the effects of burning fuels on the environment?
Ans. The effects of burning fuels on the environment are
- The burning of fossil fuels is damaging to the ecosystem because it releases poisonous compounds into the environment and other living beings.
- When gasoline and diesel are burnt, sulfur dioxide is produced.
- Vehicles emit nitrogen dioxide as well.
- These particles reach the sky and react with the rainwater in clouds to form acids.
- A type of rainwater containing acids is called acid rain.
- When wood and coal are burnt, unburned carbon particles are emitted.
- These particles contribute to air pollution and respiratory problems such as breathing difficulties, damage to the lungs, ozone (smog) effect, and a decrease in the capacity of blood to carry oxygen to blood cells and tissues.
Ques. How is natural gas formed?
Ans. The formation of natural gas is given below
- Zooplankton and phytoplankton settle on the seafloor and combine with organic material to form organic-rich mud.
- The mud is buried behind new layers and lithifies to form organic shale.
- This keeps it from coming into touch with oxygen.
- This is used to prevent microorganisms from decomposing organic substances. The high temperatures and pressure transform the shale into a waxy material known as kerogen.
- At temperatures ranging from 90 to 160°C, kerogen is converted into natural gas.
Ques. Explain each type of coal.
Ans. Coal is classified into four categories based on its carbon content.
- Anthracite Coal: It is the highest grade coal, containing more than 80% carbon. It is tough, compact, and dark in color. Anthracite is extremely uncommon and only found in a few locations.
- Bituminous Coal: It is the most common kind of coal and contains around 60% to 80% carbon. Because of the high amount of carbon and decreased moisture content, it has a very high calorific value. It is used for heating and coke manufacturing.
- Lignite Coal: It is also known as brown coal. It is of rather poor quality. It is brittle by nature. It has a substantially greater moisture content and is thus rarely utilized for combustion.
- Peat Coal: It is created during the first stage of the wood-to-coal conversion process. It contains between 50% and 60% carbon. When it is burned, it produces a lot of smoke and ash.
Very Long Answers Questions [5 Marks Questions]
Ques. What are the advantages of using fossil fuels?
Ans. The following are the advantages of using fossil fuels
- Safe to transport: Because fossil fuels are stable and safe, they can be transported across great distances efficiently and easily. They can be pumped through big pipelines or transported below and above ground on large vehicles.
- Cheap source of energy: Fundamentally, fossil fuels are among the most affordable sources of energy in the world. While the refining and extraction process is quite costly, the return on investment is substantial.
- Completely stable: Since fossil fuels contain hydrogen and carbon molecules, they are extremely stable. Because of the constant state of their molecular structure, they are very easy to store. They do not produce additional substances when stored in cans for an extended period of time.
- Abundant: The fact that fossil fuels can meet the needs of the whole world's population indicates that they are abundant. Fossil fuels have been found in nearly every part of the earth.
- High calorific value: The calorific value of any fuel is the amount of energy it contains. Calorific value is calculated by calculating the amount of heat produced by the complete combustion of a particular amount of it.
Ques. What are the disadvantages of using fossil fuels?
Ans. The following are the disadvantages of using fossil fuels
- Fossil fuels are non-renewable: Because of their limited supply, fossil fuels are not considered renewable energy sources. They are expected to run out within the next 50 years. Furthermore, the production of fossil fuels takes millions of years, so when they run out, we can replace them rapidly.
- Air pollution and smog: Smog is formed when sunlight interacts with volatile organic components in the air, such as nitrogen oxide. Nitrogen oxide is a significant pollutant emitted by factories, cars, and coal-fired power plants. Petrol, paints, and solvents all emit volatile organic molecules.
- Acid rain: Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction in which nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide combine with water, oxygen, and other gases in the atmosphere. Pollutants are emitted in large quantities by power plants that burn fossil fuels. Acid rain is a complicated issue that harms lakes, forests, buildings, rivers, crops, sculptures, and animals.
- Effect on human health: Emissions of greenhouse gases and other hazardous components from fossil fuel combustion can lead to serious health problems such as persistent asthma, poor lung function, chronic bronchitis, and cardiovascular issues.
Ques. What are the uses of fossil fuels?
Ans. There are three basic types of fossil fuels. Oil is in liquid form, Coal is in solid form, and natural gas is in gaseous form. The following are the various applications of fossil fuels:
- Uses of Oil: The term "black gold" refers to crude oil or petroleum. Petroleum has several applications. It is used to generate energy and as a fuel for autos and planes in transportation. Oil byproducts are used to make chemicals, polymers, lubricants, tars, waxes, pharmaceuticals, and other products. Furthermore, many fertilizers and insecticides are derived from oil or a byproduct of oil.
- Uses of Coal: Coal is a solid-state fossil fuel. It consists of elements like sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. Anthracite, bituminous, and lignite are three types of coal with different energy properties. Anthracite is the hardest of the three and contains the most carbon.
- Uses of Natural Gas: It is a gaseous fuel composed largely of methane. It is far more environmentally friendly than oil and coal. It is utilized in air conditioning, cooking appliances such as fuel stoves, heating houses and businesses, heating water, and other applications. It also generates energy and is utilized in steel factories, glass factories, various industrial plants, and aluminum smelters. In addition, it manufactures paints, fertilizers, polymers, and dyes. It is also utilized in transportation as compressed natural gas (CNG) or LNG.
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