Chemistry · General Awareness

Carbon and Fossil Fuels

1,898 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

In the context of global oil prices, “Brent crude oil” is frequently referred to in the news. What does this term imply?

  1. It is a major classification of crude oil.
  2. It is sourced from North sea.
  3. It does not contain sulphur.

Which of the statements given above is/ correct?

  1. 2 only

  2. 1 and 2 only

  3. 1 and 3 only

  4. 1, 2 and 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Brent crude is the biggest of the many major classifications of crude oil consisting of Brent Crude, Brent Sweet Light Crude, Oseberg, Ekofisk, and Forties. Brent crude is sourced from the North Sea. Brent blend is a light crude oil, though not as light as WTI. It contains approximately 0.37% of sulphur, classifying it as sweet crude, yet again not as sweet as WTI. Brent is suitable for production of gasoline and middle distillates.

Multiple choice

Recently “oilzapper” was in the news. What is it?

  1. It is an eco-friendly technology for the remediation of oily sludge and oil spills.

  2. It is the latest technology developed for under-sea oil exploration.

  3. It is a genetically engineered high biofuel-yielding maize variety.

  4. It is the latest technology to control the accidentally caused flames from oil wells.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Oilzapper developed by TERI (The Energy and Resource Institute, Govt of India) after seven years of research work and partly supported by the DBT (Department of Biotechnology), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, the Oilzapper is essentially a cocktail of five different bacterial strains that are immobilized and mixed with a carrier material (powdered corncob). Much as its savvy name suggests, the Oilzapper feeds on hydrocarbon compounds present in crude oil and oily sludge (a hazardous hydrocarbon waste generated by oil refineries) and converts them into harmless CO2 and water. The Oilzapper is neatly packed into sterile polythene bags and sealed aseptically for safe transport. The shelf life of the product is three months at ambient temperature.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could replace 'rather' as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option from each list according to the corresponding number in the passage.
A candle's beauty is not preatiness (1) of colour or shape, but rather (2) something else: "Not the best-looking thing, but the best-acting thing." A candle taps (3) all of the known laws of the universe.
The heat of the flame melts the wax and draws up (4) currents of air to cool the wax at the periphery, thus creating a cup (5) for the molten wax, which remains horizontal thanks (6) to gravity - "the same force of gravity which holds worlds together". Capillary action draws the melted wax up the wick from cup to flame, while the flame's heat triggers (7) a chemical reaction in the wax that sustains (8) the flame.

  1. truly

  2. mainly

  3. actually

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

The real reason or the actual reason is being talked about.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could replace 'sustains' as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option from each list according to the corresponding number in the passage.
A candle's beauty is not preatiness (1) of colour or shape, but rather (2) something else: "Not the best-looking thing, but the best-acting thing." A candle taps (3) all of the known laws of the universe.
The heat of the flame melts the wax and draws up (4) currents of air to cool the wax at the periphery, thus creating a cup (5) for the molten wax, which remains horizontal thanks (6) to gravity - "the same force of gravity which holds worlds together". Capillary action draws the melted wax up the wick from cup to flame, while the flame's heat triggers (7) a chemical reaction in the wax that sustains (8) the flame.

  1. replaces

  2. converts

  3. maintains

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

Here sustains means maintains, that is it helps in keeping the flame going.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could replace 'triggers' as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option from each list according to the corresponding number in the passage.
A candle's beauty is not preatiness (1) of colour or shape, but rather (2) something else: "Not the best-looking thing, but the best-acting thing." A candle taps (3) all of the known laws of the universe.
The heat of the flame melts the wax and draws up (4) currents of air to cool the wax at the periphery, thus creating a cup (5) for the molten wax, which remains horizontal thanks (6) to gravity - "the same force of gravity which holds worlds together". Capillary action draws the melted wax up the wick from cup to flame, while the flame's heat triggers (7) a chemical reaction in the wax that sustains (8) the flame.

  1. creates

  2. activates

  3. ceases

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

'Triggers' means starts up or activates.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could replace 'taps' as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option from each list according to the corresponding number in the passage.
A candle's beauty is not preatiness (1) of colour or shape, but rather (2) something else: "Not the best-looking thing, but the best-acting thing." A candle taps (3) all of the known laws of the universe.
The heat of the flame melts the wax and draws up (4) currents of air to cool the wax at the periphery, thus creating a cup (5) for the molten wax, which remains horizontal thanks (6) to gravity - "the same force of gravity which holds worlds together". Capillary action draws the melted wax up the wick from cup to flame, while the flame's heat triggers (7) a chemical reaction in the wax that sustains (8) the flame.

  1. stops

  2. calls

  3. uses

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

The burning of a candle involves use of several laws of the universe.