Activities and Assessments: ASSIGNMENT (SUBMIT your answers at EDMODO

ASSIGNMENT SECTION )

1.) In your own words, define what is a fuel and how do they generate energy.
Fuel is any compound composed of components that readily react with oxygen. It
contains stored energy that can be released through the process of combustion.
They generate energy when the stored energy reacts with oxygen and breaks bonds,
releasing the energy in the form of heat. This heat generates various forms of energy
through specific processes and methods, primarily mechanical and electrical.

2.) Cite the different classifications of fuels. Explain the reason why they have different
energy values.
There are three classifications of fuels. The first one is solid fuels such as coal,
coke, and charcoal. The second one is liquid fuels which have two types: liquid
petroleum fuels, and nonpetroleum liquid fuels such as tar stands and oil shale. The
third one is gaseous fuels which have four types: natural gas, hydrogen gas,
acetylene, and miscellaneous fuels. These classifications of fuels have different
energy values because of their structures and compositions, mainly in the hydrogen
and carbon bondings. The amount of energy released by fuels depends on how
many hydrogen-carbon bonds break. This means that the more hydrocarbons in a
fuel, the more energy it has. For instance, even though wood is solid compared to
liquid petroleum, liquid petroleum has more energy values because it has more
hydrogen and carbon bonds. Thus, the amount of energy in fuel depends on how
many hydrogen and carbon bonds are in it.

3.) Define what is octane number and discuss its relationship with engine knocking.
The octane number measures the resistance of a fuel to engine knocking in
spark-ignition internal combustion engines. The higher the number, the better the
fuel burns within a vehicle's engine. Higher-performance vehicles require fuels with a
higher octane number. Engine knocking is the pre-ignition of fuel. It occurs when the
mixture of air and fuel starts to burn on its own before the spark plug does because
 of high heat. The most common method to avoid it is to burn fuel of higher octane
numbers. Octane number measures how much it can resist pre-ignition to avoid
knocking. It ranges from 0-100, with 0 as the worst fuel and 100 as the good fuel.

4.) Discuss the relationship of the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics to energy
production from fuels.
The first law of thermodynamics states that the total energy of a system remains
constant; energy cannot be created nor destroyed; it only changes from one form to
another. This means that when a system releases energy, it loses the same amount
of energy it gains in the surroundings. This change in internal energy is equal to the
heat that the system absorbs or produces plus the work that the system does or is
done to it. In the case of fuels, this means that the energy that the fuels release is
changed into another kind of energy. For example, in engines, the energy is changed
into mechanical energy through the movement of the pistons. Nevertheless, the
second law of thermodynamics states that the total entropy of a system will always
increase over time. It also states that the changes in entropy can never be negative.
In energy production, we change heat into other forms of energy, and heat naturally
moves from higher-temperature to lower-temperature bodies. This means that not all
of the heat produced can be converted into work since some of the energy transfers
cannot be used to do work. Therefore, this simply means that energy production
from fuel will never achieve a 100% energy conversion; energy will always be
wasted in the process.

5.) Look for any food label and calculate the total energy that it can provide.

Table 1. Nutrition Facts of Bear Brand Powdered Milk Drink

Nutrition Facts of Bear Brand Powdered Milk Drink
Total Fat 2g
Total Carbs 6g
Protein 5g
Table 2. Caloric Values of Food Content
Caloric Values of Food Content
Fuel Energy Content, calories per gram
Fat 9 cal/gram
Carbs 4 cal/gram
Protein 4 cal/gram

(
Total energy= 2 g x
g )(
9 cal
+ 6g x
4 cal
g )(
+ 5gx
4 cal
g )
=62 cal

However, if we convert the total calories into energy (kJ), 62 cal should be multiplied
by 4.18 kJ. Thus, there are 259.16 kJ or 62 cal in one serving of Bear Brand
powdered milk drink.