CHEMISTY SC1
IS THE HEAT ENERGY RELEASED ON COMBUSTION
OF AN ALCOHOL DEPENDANT ON THE SIZE
OF THE ALCOHOL
PLANNING
INTRODUCTION
Many organic compounds are used as fuels. Most of the fuels used in the UK are hydrocarbons (Natural Resources: coal, oil, gas). Other countries make use of their own natural resources rather than important coal, oil or gas from abroad. For example, Brazil ferments its large sugar crop into alcohol, which it then mixes with petrol and uses as a fuel.
Alcohols can be used as fuels when they are burnt they release heat energy. By measuring the heat energy released by burning a known amount of similar alcohols the effect of the size of the alcohol on the heat energy released can be determined. This energy is called the heat of combustion.
Generally, a fuel is a substance, which is burned to produce heat energy.
An exothermic reaction is a reaction which, gives out energy to the surroundings, usually in the form of heat and usually shown by a rise in temperature.
An endothermic reaction is the opposite of an exothermic reaction, it is one, which takes in energy from the surroundings, usually in the form of heat and is shown by a fall in temperature.
Activation Energy or Eact represents the minimum energy needed by reacting particles for the reaction to occur. A catalyst, however, make reactions happen easier and quicker by reducing the initial energy needed, this is shown by the lower curve on the diagram below. The overall energy change for the reaction, Delta H ( H), remains the same though.
IS THE HEAT ENERGY RELEASED ON COMBUSTION
OF AN ALCOHOL DEPENDANT ON THE SIZE
OF THE ALCOHOL
PLANNING
INTRODUCTION
Many organic compounds are used as fuels. Most of the fuels used in the UK are hydrocarbons (Natural Resources: coal, oil, gas). Other countries make use of their own natural resources rather than important coal, oil or gas from abroad. For example, Brazil ferments its large sugar crop into alcohol, which it then mixes with petrol and uses as a fuel.
Alcohols can be used as fuels when they are burnt they release heat energy. By measuring the heat energy released by burning a known amount of similar alcohols the effect of the size of the alcohol on the heat energy released can be determined. This energy is called the heat of combustion.
Generally, a fuel is a substance, which is burned to produce heat energy.
An exothermic reaction is a reaction which, gives out energy to the surroundings, usually in the form of heat and usually shown by a rise in temperature.
An endothermic reaction is the opposite of an exothermic reaction, it is one, which takes in energy from the surroundings, usually in the form of heat and is shown by a fall in temperature.
Activation Energy or Eact represents the minimum energy needed by reacting particles for the reaction to occur. A catalyst, however, make reactions happen easier and quicker by reducing the initial energy needed, this is shown by the lower curve on the diagram below. The overall energy change for the reaction, Delta H ( H), remains the same though.
