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 commercial applications bioenergy biofuels making biofuels technological and industrial development

Which one of the following is not a fossil fue;?

  1. uranium

  2. coal

  3. natural gas

  4. petroleum
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Uranium is not a fossil fuel. It is a radioactive mineral used in nuclear reactors. Coal, natural gas, and petroleum are all fossil fuels formed from decomposed ancient organic matter. The question has a typo (fossil fue;) but the meaning is clear.

Multiple choice commercial applications bioenergy biofuels making biofuels technological and industrial development

Gasohol is a _____________.

  1. Renewable fuel

  2. Non-renewable fuel

  3. Newly discovered fossil fuel

  4. Combination of renewable and non-renewable resources
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
Gasohol is a  combination of renewable and non-renewable resources.
Gasohol is an alternative fuel consisting of a mixture of typically 90 percent gasoline with 10 percent anhydrous ethanol. Gasohol can be used in most modern and light duty vehicles with an internal combustion.
Gasohol is a mixture of gasoline and alcohol (mostly ethanol).

Multiple choice commercial applications bioenergy biofuels making biofuels technological and industrial development

One of the following is not a possible reason for use of CNG in automobiles

  1. It can be adulterated

  2. It is cheaper than petrol

  3. It burns more efficiency

  4. It reduces pollution
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Compressed natural gas vehicles require a greater amount of space for fuel storage than conventional gasoline-powered vehicles. Since it is a compressed gas, rather than a liquid like gasoline, CNG takes up more space for each GGE (gasoline gallon equivalent). However, the tanks used to store the CNG take up space in the trunk of a car or bed of a pickup truck which has been modified to additionally run on CNG. This problem is solved in factory-built CNG vehicles that install the tanks under the body of the vehicle, leaving the trunk free (e.g.,  Volkswagen) which sold in countries such as Peru). Another option is installed on the roof (typical on buses), but this could require structural modifications.

SO the correct answer is 'It can be adulterated'.

Multiple choice commercial applications bioenergy biofuels making biofuels technological and industrial development

The earliest use of petroleum was in

  1. Heating

  2. Furnace

  3. Medicine

  4. Production of gas
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
The ancient use of petroleum traced back to medicinal purposes. It was used to treat camels by desert nomads, Roman emperor can be said to have treated his gout with petroleum while Persians and Sumatrans also believed that petroleum has commercial value. Petroleum as of now is most popularly used as fuel, it's products include fuel oils for heating and electricity. The refining of petroleum produces by-products which are further brought into use to obtain products for example gasoline. 
Hence, the correct answer is 'Medicine'.
Multiple choice chemistry rocks and minerals petroleum and natural gas fossil fuels coal and petroleum
List I List II
A Kerosene I Metalling of roads
B Diesel II Jet aircraft fuel
C Paraffin Wax III Generation of electricty
D Bitumen IV Lubricants

  1. (A)-I, (B)-II, (C)-III, (D)-IV

  2. (A)-I, (B)-III, (C)-IV, (D)-II

  3. (A)-II, (B)-III, (C)-IV, (D)-I

  4. (A)-IV, (B)-II, (C)-III, (D)-I4
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Kerosene is used in jet aircraft as fuel.


Diesel is used in generation of electricity.

Paraffin wax is used as lubricant.

Bitumen is used for metalling of roads.

Option C is correct.

Multiple choice chemistry energy rocks and minerals petroleum and natural gas fossil fuels

What happens during carbonisation?

  1. Conversion of organic substance to carbon

  2. Conversion to carbon dioxide

  3. Conversion of carbon to diamond

  4. Conversion of carbon to water
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

During carbonisation an organic substance converts into carbon or a carbon-containing residue through pyrolysis or destructive distillation. 

Multiple choice chemistry energy rocks and minerals petroleum and natural gas fossil fuels

Liquid hydrocarbons can be converted to a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons by:

  1. oxidation

  2. cracking

  3. distillation under reduced pressure

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

The process of breaking higher hydrocarbons with high boiling points into a variety of lower hydrocarbons that are more volatile (low boiling), is called cracking (or pyrolysis). For example, a higher hydrocarbon $C _{10}H _{22}$ splits according to the reaction.

$C _{10}H _{22}  \xrightarrow {heat \ 770K} C _8H _{18} + C _2H _4$
The process of cracking or pyrolysis increases the relative amounts of the lower hydrocarbons, which exists in a gaseous state, while higher hydrocarbons exist in the liquid or solid state.

Multiple choice chemistry energy rocks and minerals petroleum and natural gas fossil fuels

Cracking is a process in which :

  1. Petrol is produced by cracks on the surface of wax.

  2. Combustion of petrol is carried out.

  3. Compounds of high molecular mass are converted into compounds of lower molecular mass

  4. None of the statements is correct
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Cracking is a chemical process in petroleum refining where heavy hydrocarbon molecules of high molecular mass are broken down into lighter, more useful molecules of lower molecular mass.

Multiple choice chemistry energy rocks and minerals petroleum and natural gas fossil fuels

Which of the following are not obtained on fractional distillation of petroleum?

  1. Paraffin wax

  2. Asphalt

  3. Coal gas

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Various fractions obtained during the fractional distillation of petroleum can be categorized into two viz, Petroleum products used as fuels: Petroleum gas, petrol, kerosene, diesel, fuel oil; Petroleum product not used as fuel:- Petroleum ether, greases, petroleum jelly, paraffin wax, pitch, asphalt.

So, Coal gas is not prepared using fractional distillation.

Multiple choice chemistry energy rocks and minerals petroleum and natural gas fossil fuels

Breaking of higher hydrocarbon into lower one by heat is called:

  1. neutralisation

  2. polymerisation

  3. cracking

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

Cracking is defined as “the decomposition of high boiling hydrocarbons of high molecular weight into smaller low boiling hydrocarbons of low molecular weight”. Usually high boiling point hydrocarbons are liquids and low boiling point hydrocarbons are gases.

Multiple choice chemistry energy rocks and minerals petroleum and natural gas fossil fuels

Which of the following is not required for the formation of coal?

  1. Dead organisms

  2. Dead vegetation

  3. Presence of oxygen

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

Carbonization of dead plants and animals does not happen in the presence of oxygen. This is the procedure which takes place inside the earth crust under high pressure and temperature.


 It is believed that millions of years ago, the ground below the forests was split open by natural forces such as earthquakes and volcanoes. 

The forests got buried under the surface of earth. Thus, the plants had no contact with oxygen. Successive layers of sediments sealed the buried plants. Over millions of year, these deposits were subjected to tremendous pressure and heat finally transformed them into coal.

Option C is correct.

Multiple choice chemistry energy rocks and minerals petroleum and natural gas fossil fuels

Coking coal is coal which on carbonisation goes through:

  1. softening.

  2. swelling.

  3. resolidification.

  4. All of the above.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

A good quality coke is generally made from carbonisation of good quality coking coals.

Coking coals are defined as coals that on carbonisation process passes through softening, swelling and resolidification of coke.