94 Part 7

Chapter 29 Fossil Fuels

A. Multiple Choice Questions (b) Petroleum is not a good fuel. This is

because it is difficult to burn. When
1. D. 80 % it is burnt, it always undergoes
2. B. C5  C10 incomplete combustion to release a
3. A. petrol. large amount of black smoke and
4. B. Fuel for aeroplanes toxic chemicals. A large quantity of
5. C. 250  350 oC petroleum only releases a small
6. D Heavy Oil amount of energy (i.e. low
7. D. Gas oil efficiency of energy conversion).
8. B. fuel oil, diesel oil, kerosene, naphtha Moreover, petroleum is a very
9. D. Glass viscous and oily liquid. It is very
10. B. True, True difficult to transfer it from one
11. A. True, True container to another one.
(c) Natural gas and petroleum are
B. Fill in the Blanks produced from the same source.
They are formed from the dead
1. fuels remains of small marine plants and
2. Coal, petroleum, natural gas animals millions of years ago.
3. hydrocarbons (d) In industry, fractional distillation is
4. fractional distillation, boiling point ranges used to refine petroleum and it is
5. fractionating tower, trays, bubble caps performed in an oil refinery.
In the process of petroleum refining,
C. Comprehensive Questions petroleum is firstly heated to about
400 oC in a furnace. In the hot
1. Fossil fuels are formed from the remains petroleum, components with low
of plants and animals which lived millions boiling points vaporize while
of years ago. components with high boiling points
2. (a) Millions of years ago, when small remain as liquids. Hence, the
marine plants and animals died, they petroleum becomes a mixture of
sank to the bottom of the seas. Their vapours and liquids.
dead remains were covered by thick This mixture of petroleum is
layers of sand and mud. Heat, pumped into the bottom of a tall
pressure from upper layers and fractionating tower. The tower is
bacteria continued to act on them. divided into several horizontal
These dead remains gradually compartments by trays. There are
changed to petroleum. many bubble caps in each tray. They
ensure that the hot vapour must pass
through the previously condensed
liquid Hence, those components
with high boiling points must
condense. This increases the

Chapter 29 Solutions (EE).doc

 Chapter 29 95

efficiency of separation. (c) A: Oil for machines / Making

In addition, the top of tower is at a candles (Any one)
lower temperature than the bottom B: Diesel fuel for buses and
because the top is far apart from the trucks / For cracking to give
furnace (i.e. the heat source). petrol (Any one)
The liquid components fall to the C: Jet fuel / Domestic fuel (Any
bottom while the vapour components one)
rise up the tower. When the vapour D: Raw material for town gas
components rise up from one E: Gaseous fuel
compartment to another, they pass (d) Volatility (ease of evaporation) /
through the bubble caps. The Viscosity / Flammability / Colour
components with high boiling points and sootiness of flame (Any two)
condense in the lower trays and they (e) Any two corresponding to (d)
are heavy fractions. The components Volatility (ease of evaporation):
with low boiling points continue to When the number of carbon atoms
rise up and condense in the higher in the molecules increases, the
trays. They are the light fractions. volatility decreases because the van
(e) der Waals’ forces between the
Fraction Use molecules increase.
Refinery gas Gaseous fuel Viscosity: When the number of
Petrol Fuel for cars carbon atoms in the molecules
Naphtha Raw material for increases, the viscosity increases
town gas because the van der Waals’ forces
Kerosene Jet fuel and between the molecules increase.
domestic fuel Flammability: When the number of
Gas oil / Diesel oil Diesel fuel for carbon atoms in the molecules
buses and trucks, increases, the flammability
for cracking to decreases because the van der
give petrol Waals’ forces between the molecules
Fuel oil Fuel for shops and increases. Thus, they are more
generating difficult to burn.
electricity; for Colour and sootiness of flame:
cracking to give When the number of carbon atoms
petrol in the molecules increases, the
Lubricating oil and Oil for machines; colour of the flame of changes from
waxes making candles yellow with blue edges to orange.
Bitumen For surfacing On the other hand, the flame
roads and roofs becomes more sooty.

3. (a) Fractionating tower (f) In the laboratory, it is difficult to

(b) A: Lubricating oil and waxes obtain the fractions with very high
B: Gas oil boiling points (i.e. >400 oC), but
C: Kerosene these fractions can be obtained in
D: Naphtha industry.
E: Refinery gas

Chapter 29 Solutions (EE).doc

96 Part 7
4. (a) Fractional distillation.
In fractional distillation, petroleum
is separated into different parts
called fractions according to
different boiling point ranges.
Different hydrocarbons in a fraction
have similar properties. Different
fractions have different properties to
serve different uses.
(b) (i) When the number of carbon
atoms in the hydrocarbon
molecules increases, the
viscosity increases.
(ii) When the number of carbon
atoms in the hydrocarbon
molecules increases, their ease
of evaporation decreases.
(c) Jet fuel / Domestic fuel (Any one)
(d)
5. (a) Different fractions have different
boiling point ranges, so fractional
distillation can separate petroleum
into different fractions.
(b) Fraction 1: refinery gas
Fraction 2: petrol / naphtha
Fraction 3: kerosene
Fraction 4: gas oil / diesel oil
(c) Fraction 4. This is because they
have the largest number of carbon
atoms in the molecules.
(d) Fraction 4. This is because the
molecules in this fraction have a
high number of carbon atoms, so
they burn with sooty and a
non-luminous flame.
Chapter 29 Solutions (EE).doc
(e) Fraction 1. This is because this
fraction is easy to burn and burn
with a clear and non-sooty flame.
Thus, this fraction has the highest
demand.
6. HKCEE Question
7. (a) (i) The glass wool is used to
enable the petroleum to boil
smoothly.
Petroleum should not be
directly heated in the boiling
tube; otherwise, the petroleum
boils rapidly and vigorously
(i.e. bumping of petroleum). It
becomes very difficult to
collect different fractions.
(ii) The cold water is used to
condense the distillate.
(b) 10  360 oC thermometer is
suitable in the set up. This is
because some fractions have a high
boiling point (e.g. about 250 oC.)
(c) The fractions with a small number
of carbon atoms are highly
flammable.
(d) 1. Keep good ventilation in the
laboratory.
2. Wear protective gloves when
handling petroleum. Avoid
contact with artificial
petroleum with skin.
3. Clamp the boiling tube quite
tightly. Avoid applying too
strong force when clamping;
otherwise, the tube will be
broken.
4. Keep petroleum and its
fractions far away from fire
because they are flammable.
(e) C14 – C25 and above. This is because
this fraction has a very high boiling
point. It cannot be obtained by this
method in the laboratory.
 Chapter 29 97

8. The viscosity increases when the number

of carbon atoms in the molecules
increases. The increasing order of the
number of carbon atom in the molecules
of the fractions is:
petrol < kerosene < diesel oil < fuel oil

Therefore, the increasing order of the

viscosity of the fractions is:
petrol < kerosene < diesel oil < fuel oil

D. Essay-type Question

1. HKCEE Question

Chapter 29 Solutions (EE).doc