GCSE Science Coursework
Title: Burning Fuels.
What are you trying to find out? I will be carrying out an investigation, which allows me to calculate and compare how much energy/fuel is used to raise 100cmcubed of water to 20 degrees centigrade. I will be using 5 different fuels; Butanol, Pentanol, Propanol, Methanol and Ethanol. The aim is to find out how much energy is produced when burning these alcohols. Alcohol's react with oxygen in the air to form water and carbon dioxide. This is an exothermic reaction, meaning that when energy is put in, more energy is given off.
The formulae of the alcohols that I will be using are.
Methanol CH OH
Ethanol C H OH
Propanol C H OH
Butanol C H OH
Pentanol C H OH
Prediction: I predict that the more bonds there are holding the carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms together; more energy will be required to break them apart. For example Ethanol has the formula C H OH. In this formula you have five C-H bonds, one C-C bond, one C-O bond and one O-H bond. To separate these types of bonds you require a certain amount of energy, which I will show in a table.
C-H 410
C-O 360
O-H 510
O=O 496
C=O 740
C-C 350
To separate C-H bond you need to apply 410 joules of energy. There are five such bonds in ethanol so you multiply 410 by five to get 2050 joules. You do these calculations for all the other types of bonds that make up ethanol, add them all together and you get 3270 joules. All of the other alcohols can be broken up in this way. Below is a table showing the energy required to break up the bonds in each alcohol.
Title: Burning Fuels.
What are you trying to find out? I will be carrying out an investigation, which allows me to calculate and compare how much energy/fuel is used to raise 100cmcubed of water to 20 degrees centigrade. I will be using 5 different fuels; Butanol, Pentanol, Propanol, Methanol and Ethanol. The aim is to find out how much energy is produced when burning these alcohols. Alcohol's react with oxygen in the air to form water and carbon dioxide. This is an exothermic reaction, meaning that when energy is put in, more energy is given off.
The formulae of the alcohols that I will be using are.
Methanol CH OH
Ethanol C H OH
Propanol C H OH
Butanol C H OH
Pentanol C H OH
Prediction: I predict that the more bonds there are holding the carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms together; more energy will be required to break them apart. For example Ethanol has the formula C H OH. In this formula you have five C-H bonds, one C-C bond, one C-O bond and one O-H bond. To separate these types of bonds you require a certain amount of energy, which I will show in a table.
C-H 410
C-O 360
O-H 510
O=O 496
C=O 740
C-C 350
To separate C-H bond you need to apply 410 joules of energy. There are five such bonds in ethanol so you multiply 410 by five to get 2050 joules. You do these calculations for all the other types of bonds that make up ethanol, add them all together and you get 3270 joules. All of the other alcohols can be broken up in this way. Below is a table showing the energy required to break up the bonds in each alcohol.