Chemistry · General Awareness

Carbon and Fossil Fuels

1,756 Questions

Review fundamental concepts regarding carbon compounds, coal distillation, and fossil fuel formation. This segment covers the chemical properties and industrial applications of natural gas and crude oil. Practicing these questions will strengthen your chemistry foundation for general science sections.

Coal distillationPetroleum formationProperties of crude oilNatural gas applications

Carbon and Fossil Fuels Questions

Multiple choice

Which fuel does not cause much pollution on burning?

  1. Wood

  2. Petrol

  3. LPG

  4. Kerosene

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) is a cleaner-burning fuel compared to wood, petrol, or kerosene. It produces fewer particulate emissions and pollutants when combusted.

Multiple choice

Wood charcoal is commonly prepared by the process of burning wood

  1. in contact with air

  2. in contact with pure oxygen

  3. without contact with air

  4. in contact with nitrogen and inert gases
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Wood charcoal is produced by heating wood in the absence of air, a process called destructive distillation or carbonization. If air or oxygen were present, the wood would simply burn to ash.

Multiple choice

Gasoline is obtained from crude oil by the process of

  1. evaporation

  2. fractional distillation

  3. distillation

  4. filtration
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons with different boiling points. Fractional distillation separates these components based on their different boiling points.

Multiple choice

The substance made from only carbon is

  1. sugar

  2. acetic acid

  3. graphite

  4. methane
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Graphite is an allotrope of carbon, meaning it is composed entirely of carbon atoms. Sugar, acetic acid, and methane all contain hydrogen and oxygen in addition to carbon.

Multiple choice

Tetraethyl lead (TEL) is added to petrol to

  1. prevent freezing.

  2. increase boiling point.

  3. increase flash point.

  4. increase anti-knocking rating.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Tetraethyl lead was historically added to gasoline to improve its octane rating and prevent engine knocking.

Multiple choice

Water is not effective in extinguishing a fire caused by petrol because

  1. the flame is too hot for water to cool it down

  2. water and petrol react chemically

  3. water and petrol are miscible with each other

  4. water and petrol are immiscible with each other and petrol forms the upper layer and continues to burn
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Water is denser than petrol and insoluble in it, meaning petrol floats on top of water and continues to burn. Therefore, using water only spreads the burning fuel rather than smothering it.

Multiple choice

Diesel oil is preferred for heavy motor vehicles because of

  1. high efficiency and fuel economy

  2. less consumption

  3. less damage to engine

  4. higher industrial production from crude
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Diesel engines are more efficient and provide better fuel economy than gasoline engines, making them ideal for heavy-duty applications.

Multiple choice

Gunpowder consists of a mixture of

  1. sand and TNT

  2. sulphur, sand and charcoal

  3. nitre, sulphur and charcoal

  4. TNT and charcoal
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Black powder, or gunpowder, is a mixture of potassium nitrate (nitre), sulfur, and charcoal.

Multiple choice

Artificially, gasoline is prepared by an industrial process known as

  1. Sabatier and Sendren's process

  2. Friedel-Crafts reaction

  3. Fischer-Tropsch process

  4. Haber's process
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Fischer-Tropsch process is a collection of chemical reactions that converts a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons, such as synthetic gasoline.

Multiple choice

Animal charcoal is obtained by

  1. the destructive distillation of bones

  2. burning the bones of animals in contact with air

  3. burning the flesh of animals

  4. burning the bones of animals without contact with air
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Animal charcoal is produced by the destructive distillation of bones, which involves heating them in the absence of air to prevent combustion.

Multiple choice

The hottest part of the gas flame is known as the

  1. luminous zone

  2. dark zone

  3. blue zone

  4. non-luminous zone
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The non-luminous zone of a gas flame is the outermost part where complete combustion occurs, making it the hottest region.

Multiple choice

The term 'Liquid Gold' refers to

  1. platinum

  2. petroleum

  3. diesel

  4. mercury
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Petroleum is frequently referred to as liquid gold due to its immense economic value and global importance as an energy source. Other options are valuable minerals or fuels but do not carry this specific moniker.