Fuels and Earth science: Practice Questions

In the fractional distillation of crude oil, which fraction is commonly used as fuel for aircraft?

Which of the following provides the best evidence that human activity is a significant cause of recent climate change?

Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons that can be separated into useful fractions.
Name the process used to separate crude oil and explain how the boiling point of a hydrocarbon relates to its position of exit in the separation column.

A fuel contains sulfur as an impurity.
Explain how the combustion of this fuel leads to the formation of acid rain and describe one specific environmental problem associated with acid rain.

Describe the greenhouse effect in terms of how various gases in the atmosphere, such as methane and carbon dioxide, interact with radiation from the Earth to keep it warm.

a) Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons. Describe the process of fractional distillation used to separate crude oil into simpler, more useful fractions.
b) Explain how the boiling point and viscosity of the fractions change as the length of the carbon chain increases.
c) Saturated hydrocarbons can be broken down into smaller, more useful molecules. Name this process and explain why it is necessary for the petrochemical industry.