The Fossil Fuel Dilemma
Of all the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide is the one that is most significantly increasing and this is enhancing the natural greenhouse effect that our planet experiences. Sometimes this is known as the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect. So why is the amount of carbon dioxide gas increasing in our atmosphere.
1) Our Reliance on the Combustion of Fossil Fuels
In its recently released Fourth Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of 1,300 independent scientific experts from countries all over the world concluded there's a more than 90 percent probability that human activities over the past 250 years have warmed our planet. The industrial activities that our modern civilization depends upon have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from 280 parts per million to 395.5 parts per million. This is constantly changing and the most current level is found by clicking on the CO2 Now button. |
1) What are Fossil Fuels?
Three Experiments to explore Combustion
1. Burning Magnesium Ribbon: To observe a Combustion reaction when Magnesium Metal is burned in Air. Refer to textbook SF3 p78 for Experiment outline. 2. Stopping Combustion: To observe what happens to a combustion reaction when Oxygen is removed. Refer to Text Book SF3 p78 for an Experiment outline. 3. Alcohol Combustion: To compare the energy released when different alcohols undergo Combustion. Refer to Alcohol Combustion Investigation |
combustion_of_alcohol_investigation_1.pdf | |
File Size: | 37 kb |
File Type: |
Experimental Report for Alcohol Combustion
1. Paste in sheet with results
2. Write a Discussion. This should contain the following:
* The heat energy per gram of each alcohol. This found by dividing the temperature change by the mass change. The units for heat energy will be oC/g
* The order of the fuels in terms of heat energy efficiency
* Write a sentence about combustion (the word equation) and its connection to climate change
* Describe any problems that you encountered and possible improvements to the experiment
3. Write the Conclusion. This should contain the following:
* state your results and what you learnt from the experiment in 1 - 2 sentences.
1. Paste in sheet with results
2. Write a Discussion. This should contain the following:
* The heat energy per gram of each alcohol. This found by dividing the temperature change by the mass change. The units for heat energy will be oC/g
* The order of the fuels in terms of heat energy efficiency
* Write a sentence about combustion (the word equation) and its connection to climate change
* Describe any problems that you encountered and possible improvements to the experiment
3. Write the Conclusion. This should contain the following:
* state your results and what you learnt from the experiment in 1 - 2 sentences.