Biofuels Unit Test by C Kohn
Name:
Hour
Date:
1. Fossil fuels currently provide more than _______% of all the energy used in the US
a. 95 b. 85 c. 75 d. 65
2. Fossil fuels a formed from…
a. Inorganic elements deep within the earth’s crust
b. The byproducts of human activity on the surface
c. A complex series of chemical reactions conducted in laboratories and refineries
d. The accumulation of plants and animals on the bottom of prehistoric seabeds
3. The accumulation of ______ and _______ turned organic carbon molecules into the hydrocarbons in fossil fuels.
a. Heat, pressure b. Pressure, oxygen c. Oxygen, fire d. Fire, heat
4. What elements are found in hydrocarbons?
a. Hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen
b. Hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen
c. Hydrogen and carbon
d. Just carbon
5. Petroleum is…
a. A blend of many different kinds of hydrocarbons.
b. A blend of hydrocarbons and ethanol
c. A synthetically produced version of natural hydrocarbons
d. A blend of natural and synthetically produced hydrocarbons
6. How are the different products of petroleum (gasoline, kerosene, lubricating oil, etc.) separated from each
other?
a. They are filtered; each product has a different viscosity
b. They are heated; each product has a different boiling point
c. They are centrifuged; each product has a different density
d. None of the above; petroleum is one of many products created from fossil fuels
7. Combustion is a reaction in which
a. A substance is consumed, reducing its matter
b. A substance (along with oxygen) is rearranged into simpler, more stable molecules
c. A substance is burned to create energy
d. A substance is converted into energy
8. Combustion is _________; it ____________ energy
a. Exothermic; absorbs b. Exothermic; releases
c. Endothermic; absorbs
d. Endothermic; releases
9. Fossil fuels ___________ energy when combusted because the energy needed to break the bonds of a
hydrocarbon is ____________ than the energy give off by the formation of bonds in CO2 and H2O.
a. Absorb; greater b. Absorb; less c. Release; greater d. Release; less
Copyright 2011 by Craig Kohn, Agricultural Sciences, Waterford WI. This source may be freely used and distributed provided the author is cited.
10. What is responsible for the smog, soot, and carbon monoxide associated with the use of fossil fuels?
a. The hydrocarbon molecule – when completely combusted, there are “leftover” parts that form these
pollutants
b. The combustion reaction does not fully occur in most cases with hydrocarbons, leaving partial
hydrocarbons that form these pollutants.
c. The CO2 produced from the hydrocarbons prevents the combustion reaction from starting
d. Fossil fuels are dirty because they come from the ground.
11. Biofuels tend to burn _________ than fossil fuels because they burn more _____________
a. Dirtier; slowly b. Cleaner; incompletely c. Dirtier; quickly d. Cleaner; completely
12. Why are atmospheric CO2 levels unnaturally high?
a. CO2 is not naturally produced; human activity is adding this molecule to the atmosphere where it never
once existed
b. CO2 is in the atmosphere because of the hole in the ozone layer
c. CO2 used to be produced and used in similar rates; the use of fossil fuels adds CO2 at a rate far faster
than it can be reabsorbed
d. CO2 levels are not a problem right now
13. How does CO2 cause changes to the Earth’s surface temperatures?
a. CO2 absorbs and releases infrared radiation, holding it in the atmosphere longer
b. CO2 forms a shield that traps radiation on the Earth permanently
c. CO2 produces heat when it breaks down in the atmosphere
d. CO2 does not cause an increase in surface temperatures
14. The US accounts for _________% of global carbon emissions despite having only _____% of the world’s
population.
a. 50; 25 b. 50; 5 c. 25; 10 d. 25; 5
15. Ethanol requires _____________ energy to produce than is released when it is combusted.
a. Less b. More c. the same amount of
16. Ethanol produces ____________ carbon dioxide when it is combusted than gasoline.
a. Less b. More c. the same amount of
17. A major disadvantage of ethanol is that it….
a. Has a lower gas mileage (vs. fossil fuels); b. Produces more CO2; c. Is less energy efficient; d. All of the above
18. Compared to petroleum diesel fuel, biodiesel is __________ burning, has ______ emissions, and is ______ toxic.
a. Cleaner; lower; less b. Dirtier; higher; more
c. Cleaner; lower; more
19. A major disadvantage of biodiesel is that even small amounts of __________ will affect the performance of it.
a. Oxygen b. CO2 c. Water d. Weight
20. Biofuels are carbon neutral, meaning –
a. They don’t produce CO2 b. They produce less CO2 than they absorb
c. They produce more CO2 than they absorb d. They absorb the CO2 they release
Copyright 2011 by Craig Kohn, Agricultural Sciences, Waterford WI. This source may be freely used and distributed provided the author is cited.
21. How does a diesel engine convert the energy in fuel into motion?
a. The fuel flows past gears that are connected to the axels; the movement of fuel turns the gears.
b. The fuel is heated which causes it to expand, pushing against a piston which moves the wheel. As the
fluid cools it contracts, pulling the piston with it
c. The fuel is compressed, and this compression heats it to the point of combustion. When the fuel
combusts, it pushes a piston in a cylinder down, turning the driveshaft.
d. The fuel is mixed with air in the cylinder. A spark from a spark plug ignites the fuel-air mixture, causing a
combustion reaction which pushes the piston down, turning the drive shaft.
22. What is the main difference between diesel and gasoline engines?
a. Diesel fuel is primarily made from renewable sources, while gasoline is not
b. Gasoline engines do not produce pollution
c. Diesel engines do not produce pollution
d. Diesel engines do not have a spark plug
23. What makes a diesel engine so efficient?
a. The fact that the air is compressed concentrates the amount of oxygen in the combustion reaction
b. Diesel fuel is a more easily combustible fuel
c. A diesel engine is made more efficient because of its spark plug
d. Diesel engines are more efficient because they can be run on renewable fuel
24. Biodiesel is fuel…
a. Made by reacting a plant oil or animal fat with methanol and a catalyst
b. Created using the byproducts of ethanol production
c. Made from the byproducts of petroleum production
d. That can only be used in cold weather
25. What is transesterification?
a. A chemical reaction in which an alcohol is converted into an oil or fat
b. A chemical reaction in which fat or plant oil is turned into alcohol
c. A chemical reaction in which the carbon groups of an oil are broken into straight chains using an alcohol
d. A chemical reaction in which glycerin is turned into diesel fuel
26. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of biodiesel?
a. It can be used directly in most diesel engine types with only a few modifications
b. It is non-toxic and biodegradable
c. It is far more energy efficient, releasing over 3x as much energy as is needed to produce it
d. It gets higher gas mileage gallon for gallon
27. How much CO2 does biodiesel produce?
a. More than it absorbs
b. Less than it absorbs
c. The same amount as it absorbs
d. More than petroleum diesel fuel
Copyright 2011 by Craig Kohn, Agricultural Sciences, Waterford WI. This source may be freely used and distributed provided the author is cited.
28. Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of biodiesel?
a. It will dissolve or corrode certain kinds of metals, rubbers, and plastics
b. It is more toxic than petroleum diesel
c. It spoils over time
d. It requires far more land to produce than is available to meet the nation’s transportation energy needs
29. After the transesterification reaction with oil, what should we see?
a. A clear-ish layer of yellow biodiesel on top, with dark glycerin on the bottom
b. A clear-ish layer of yellow glycerin on top, with dark biodiesel on the bottom
c. A cloudy mix of biodiesel and glycerin
d. A batch of biodiesel ready to be put straight into an engine
30. What does it mean to “wash” your biodiesel?
a. To allow the biodiesel to sit in the open air as water evaporates from it
b. To treat your biodiesel with petroleum diesel fuel to absorb any impurities
c. To use glycerin (soap) to remove harmful lipids
d. To rinse your biodiesel with water to absorb and remove impurities and un-reacted reagents.
31. What does it mean to “dry” your biodiesel?
a. To allow the biodiesel to sit in the open air as water evaporates from it
b. To treat your biodiesel with petroleum diesel fuel to absorb any impurities
c. To use glycerin (soap) to remove harmful lipids
d. To rinse your biodiesel with water to absorb and remove impurities and un-reacted reagents.
32. As biodiesel dries, it should become….
a. Darker b. Clearer c. Cloudier
d. Thicker
33. Biodiesel is only a partial solution to the energy needs of our nation because…
a. It is less energy-efficient than diesel fuel, releasing less energy than it needs to produced
b. Biodiesel does not work without costly and dramatic changes to diesel engines
c. It produces more CO2 than petroleum diesel fuel
d. Biodiesel requires vast amounts of land to produce enough oil for the transesterification process
34. Biodiesel can become explosive if ___________ materials are used in its production
a. Glass b. Wood c. Plastic d. Ceramic
35. The first diesel engine ran on fuel made from
a. Petroleum b. Corn c. Soybeans d. Peanuts
36. LCA refers to…
a. Living Carbon Assessment
b. Life Cycle Analysis
c. Limited Carbon Awareness
d. Loving Cows Always
Copyright 2011 by Craig Kohn, Agricultural Sciences, Waterford WI. This source may be freely used and distributed provided the author is cited.
37. The addition of an oxygen atom to the structure of a hydrocarbon would have what impact on the combustion
of that molecule?
a. It would increase gas mileage (or miles driven per gallon)
b. It would decrease harmful emissions like soot, smog, and carbon monoxide
c. It would require a compression engine instead of an engine with a spark plug
d. All of the above
38. Which of the following is shown here:
a. Ethanol
b. Carbon Dioxide
c. Octane (gasoline)
d. Methane
39. Which of the following is shown here:
a. Ethanol
b. Carbon Dioxide
c. Octane (gasoline)
d. Methane
40. Which of the following is shown below:
a. Ethanol
b. Carbon Dioxide
c. Octane (gasoline)
d. Methane
41. Currently, CO2 levels in the atmosphere are at just under…
a. 200 ppm b. 300 ppm c. 400 ppm d. 500 ppm
42. Octane, when combusted, will produce how much CO2 per molecule?
a. 2 CO2 b. 4 CO2 c. 6 CO2 8 CO2
43. Ethanol, when combusted, will produce how much CO2 per molecule?
a. 2 CO2 b. 4 CO2 c. 6 CO2 8 CO2
44. Who is the inventor of the diesel engine?
a. Rudolph Diesel b. Randy Gasoline c. Ralph Ethanol d. Rudolph T. Raindeere
Copyright 2011 by Craig Kohn, Agricultural Sciences, Waterford WI. This source may be freely used and distributed provided the author is cited.