Doc Brown's GCSE OCR Gateway Science-Chemistry Revision Notes

OCR GCSE Gateway Science Chemistry Module C1 Carbon Chemistry

Unit-Item C1b Using carbon fuels

1. You should have developed ideas about fuels and the factors that need to be considered when choosing the best fuel 'fit for purpose'.

2. You should know about the process of combustion and discussing and deciding which fuel is suitable fuels for a particular purpose, given data on the energy resources available

   • eg choosing the right fuel for heating / lighting a remote house in Scotland

   • powering a car

   • use in an electricity generating station).

3. Be able to interpret simple data about fuels in order to choose the best fuel for a particular purpose (no recall expected) eg by considering:

   • energy value

   • availability

   • storage

   • cost

   • toxicity

   • pollution eg acid rain

   • greenhouse effect

   • ease of use.

4. Appreciate an experiment to show that combustion of a hydrocarbon in a plentiful supply of air produces carbon dioxide and water.

5. Know that the combustion of a fuel releases useful heat energy.

6. You should understand why complete combustion needs a plentiful supply of oxygen (air).

7. Know that complete combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel makes only carbon dioxide and water.

8. Be able to construct word equations to show the complete combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel given the reactants and products.

9. Be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning from incomplete combustion.

10. You should understand why incomplete combustion takes place.

11. Be able to explain why a blue Bunsen flame releases more energy than a yellow flame.

12. Know that a yellow flame produces lots of soot - black deposit on a cold surface.

13. Know that incomplete combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel makes carbon monoxide, carbon (soot) and water.

14. Know that carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas (it blocks haemoglobin from carrying oxygen).

15. Be able to construct word equations to show the incomplete combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel given the reactants and products.

16. Be able to interpret data about fuels in order to evaluate and choose the best fuel for a particular purpose (information will be supplied) and suggest the key factors involved in the decision making process when choosing a fuel for a particular purpose.

    • HT only: Be able to evaluate the use (no recall expected, information will be supplied).

17. HT only: Be able to explain why the amount of fossil fuels being burnt:

    • increasing world population

    • growth of use in developing countries eg India and China.

18. Be able to describe an experiment to show that combustion of a hydrocarbon in a plentiful supply of air produces carbon dioxide and water.

19. Be able to construct word equations to show the complete combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel (not all reactants and products given).

20. HT only: Be able to construct the balanced symbol equation for the complete combustion of a simple hydrocarbon fuel given its molecular formula.

21. Be able to explain the advantages of complete combustion over the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbon fuels.

22. Be able to construct word equations to show the incomplete combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel (not all reactants and products given).

23. Be able to construct the balanced symbol equation for the incomplete combustion of a simple hydrocarbon fuel given its molecular formula and the product (carbon or carbon monoxide).

24. Notes

    • Fossil Fuels Notes

    • Complete combustion of hydrocarbons

    • Pollution and incomplete combustion