There is concern that the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum contributes to climate change by adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.Several factors need to be considered,including the environmental values of different fuels.Estimate the environmental value of coal compared to gasoline from the following information.The environmental value is defined as the amount of energy obtained per mole of carbon dioxide produced,so a larger environmental value is better.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To calculate the environmental value, we need to find the amount of energy produced per mole of carbon dioxide produced. For coal, we have 1 mole of CO2 produced for every mole of coal burned, and the heat of combustion is 44,000 kJ/mol. Therefore, the environmental value of coal is:

Environmental value of coal = 44,000 kJ/mol ÷ 1 mol of CO2 produced
= 44,000 kJ/mol

For gasoline, we have 8 moles of CO2 produced for every 17 moles of fuel burned (from the balanced chemical equation), and the heat of combustion is 5,460 kJ/mol. Therefore, the environmental value of gasoline is:

Environmental value of gasoline = 5,460 kJ/mol ÷ (8/17) mol of CO2 produced
= 683 kJ/mol

Comparing these values, we see that coal has an environmental value of 44,000 kJ/mol and gasoline has an environmental value of 683 kJ/mol. Therefore, the answer is D, coal = 325 kJ/mol, gasoline = 683 kJ/mol is better.

There Is Concern That the Combustion of Fossil Fuels Such