Chapter 5

Coal and Petroleum

Question 1.
What are the advantages of using CNG and LPG as fuels?
Answer:
The advantages of using CNG and LPG as fuels are:

• They burn with a smokeless flame and so does not cause any pollution.
• They leave no ash on burning.
• They are easy to handle and convenient to store.

Question 2.
Name the petroleum product used for surfacing of roads.
Answer:
Bitumen

Question 3.
Describe how coal is formed from dead vegetation. What is this process called?
Answer:
Millions of years ago, trees, plants, ferns and forests got buried below the rocks, soil and sand
due to natural processes like flooding, earthquake, etc. Slowly, as more soil deposited over
them, they were compressed. This led to the conditions of high pressure and heat. These
conditions along with the anaerobic conditions turned the carbon-enriched organic matter of
wood into coal.
This slow process of conversion of wood into coal is called carbonisation.

Question 4.
Fill in the blanks.
(a) Fossils fuels are ____ , ____ and ____
(b) Process of separation of different constituents from petroleum is called ______
(c) Least polluting fuel for vehicle is ______
Answer:
(a) coal, petroleum, natural gas
(b) refining
(c) CNG

Question 5.
Tick True/False against the following statements.
(a) Fossil fuels can be made in the laboratory.
(b) CNG is more polluting fuel than petrol.
(c) Coke is an almost pure form of carbon.
(d) Coal tar is a mixture of various substances.
(e) Kerosene is not a fossil fuel.
Answer:
(a) False
(b) False
(c) True
(d) True
(e) False

Question 6.
Explain why fossil fuels are exhaustible natural resources.
Answer:
Fossil fuels take millions of years to be formed. They are limited in nature and cannot be
replenished easily, once consumed. Hence, they are considered as exhaustible natural
resources.

Question 7.
Describe the characteristics and uses of coke.
Answer:
Characteristics of coke: Coke is 98% pure carbon. It is a tough, porous and black substance.
It pro-duces a very little smoke.
Uses of coke: Coke is very useful as fuel. It is a good reducing agent. It is widely used in
metallurgical processes to reduce metals from their oxides. It is used for producing water gas.

Question 8.
Explain the process of the formation of petroleum.
Answer:
Petroleum is formed by the burial of aquatic plants and animals below the sea bed. The
marine animals and plants died thousands of years ago and settled down in the bottom of sea.
In anaerobic conditions, microorganisms decompose this organic matter. Due to high
pressure and heat, the dead remains of tiny plants and animals were slowly converted into
petroleum.

Question 9.
The following table shows the total power shortage in India from 2004-2010. Show the
data in the form of a graph. Piet shortage percentage for the years on the y-axis and the
year on the x-axis.
Extra Questions

Question 1.
Name the petroleum product used for surfacing of roads.
Answer:
Bitumen.

Question 2.
What is the slow process of conversion of dead vegetation into coal called ?
Answer:
Carbonisation.

Question 3.
What are natural resources ?
Answer:
Material obtained from nature are called natural resources.

Question 4
Classify the following as exhaustible and inexhaustible natural resources- air, sunlight, water,
forests, wildlife, coal.
Answer:
Exhaustible resources – forests, wildlife, coal
Inexhaustible resources – air, sunlight, water.

Question 5
Define carbonisation.
Answer:
The slow process of conversion of dead vegetation into coal is called carbonisation.

Question 6
How is coke obtained ?
Answer:
Coke is obtained by heating coal in the absence of air.
Question
Why is petroleum called a fossil fuel ?
Answer:
Petroleum is called a fossil fuel as it is obtained from the bodies of dead organisms.

Question
How is natural gas formed ?
Answer:
Natural gas is formed below the earth’s surface. It is formed above the petroleum.

Question
Write down any four amorphous forms of carbon.
Answer:
Amorphous forms of carbon – coal, charcoal, coke and lamp black.

Question
Distinguish between inexhaustible and exhaustible natural resources.
Answer:
Exhaustible resources – forests, wildlife, coal
Inexhaustible resources – air, sunlight, water.

Question
Why are coal and petroleum known as fossil fuels ?
Answer:
Coal and petroleum are formed from the dead remains of living organisms that is why they
are called fossils fuels.

Question
Define destructive distillation. Name the residue formed by destructive distillation of coal.
Answer:
Destructive distillation is the process of heating a substance in absence of air. Coke is formed
by destructive distillation of coal.

Question
What is meant by refining of petroleum and where is it done ?
Answer:
The process of separating the different fractions of petroleum is known as refining and it is
carried out in a refinery.

Question
How can bitumen be used ?
Answer:
Bitumen can be used for making paints and for surfacing the roads.

Question
Why is petroleum also knbwn as ‘black gold’ ?
Answer:
Due to its great commercial importance, petroleum is known as ‘black gold’.

Question Give two disadvantages of using fossil fuels.

Answer:
Fossil fuels cause air pollution and global warming.

Question
Why should the fossil fuels be used with care ?
Answer:
If we use fossil fuels carefully, it will result in better environment, less risk of global
warming and they will be available for a longer period.

Question
Name some places in India where natural gas has been found.
Answer:
In India natural gas is found in Tripura, Jaisalmer and in the offshore of Mumbai and in
Krishna Godavari delta.

Question
Give two advantages of judicious use of energy ?
Answer:
The advantages of judicious use of energy are :

• It will delay the energy crisis.

• It will give the scientists more time to develop more efficient alternate sources
of energy.

Question

1. Name the products obtained when coal is heated in the absence of air.
2. Write any two uses of its products.

Answer:

1. Coke is formed when coal is heated in absence of air.

2. Coke is used :
• As a fuel.
• As a reducing agent in the extraction of metals.

Question
(a) Give the full form of
(i) LPG
(ii) CNG.
(b) How is petroleum gas obtained ? [MSE (Chandigarh) 2007]
Answer:
(a) (i) LPG — Liquefied Petroleum Gas.
(ii) CNG — Compressed Natural Gas.
(b) Petroleum gas is obtained during fractional distillation of petroleum.

Question
Draw diagram to show petroleum and natural gas deposit.
Answer:

Question
What are ‘Petrochemicals’ ? Give the uses of petrochemicals obtained from petroleum.
Answer:
Petrochemicals are useful substances obtained from petroleum. They are used in the
manufacture of detergents, fibres, polyethylene and other plastics.

Question
Name some places where natural gas is found in India. How many reserves are of natural gas
?
Answer:
In India, natural gas has been formed in Tripura, in the Krishna Godavari delta. In India, there
are over 100 billion cubic metre reserves of natural gas.

Question

1. What is CNG ? Give its one use.

2. From which natural substance are liquid fuels formed ?
3. Which gas is the main constituent of LPG ?
4. How was petroleum formed in nature ?
5. Why do green leaves not catch fire easily ?

Answer:

1. CNG — Compressed Natural Gas. It is used as a fuel.

 2. All liquid fuels are formed from petroleum.
3. Butane is the main constituent of LPG.
4. Petroleum was formed by the sedimentation of dead remains of microscopic
marine plants and animals, which were buried under the surface of the earth,
millions of years ago.
5. Green leaves do not catch fire easily because they contain moisture.

Question

1. How have fossil fuels been formed ?

2. Why are fossil fuels non-renewable sources of energy ?
3. Why is smelling agent added to LPG ?
4. Give one reason why LPG is a better fuel than coal.
5. Give one advantage of modem chullah over traditional challah

Answer:

1. They have been formed by decomposition of pre-historic plants and animals

buried under the Earth’s crust millions of years ago.
2. Fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy because once exhausted they
cannot be re-created in a short period of time.
3. Smelling agent is added to LPG to detect the leakage of gas as LPG is
colourless and odourless gas.
4. LPG is a better fuel than coal because :
• It does not cause pollution.
• It has high calorific value.
• It has low ignition temperature. (Any one)
5. Advantages of Modem Chullah over Traditional Chullah :
• High efficiency.
• Causes less pollution.
• Consumes less fuel.

Question
Name the agency in India who advises people how to save petrol/diesel. What tips are given
by them ?
Answer:
In India, the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) advises people how to
save petrol/diesel while driving.
Their tips are :

• Drive at a constant and moderate speed.

• Switch off the engine at traffic lights.
• Ensure correct tyre pressure.
• Ensure regular maintenance of the vehicle.

Question
Draw a labelled diagram showing the fractional distillation of petroleum. Give the uses of
any three fractions.
Answer:

Uses:

• Petrol is used as motor fuel, airation fuel and as solvent for drycleaning.
• Kerosene is used as fuel at home and in jet aircrafts.
• Diesel is used as fuel for heavy motor vehicles and electric generators.

Question 5.
The most pure form of carbon fuel is
(a) coal
(b) coke
(c) charcoal
(d) coal gas
Answer:
(b)

Question 6.
The fossil fuel found below the sea is
(a) petrol
(b) petroleum
(c) kerosene
(d) diesel
Answer:
(b)

Question 7.
‘Black gold’ is another name for
(a) coal
(b) coke
(c) charcoal
(d) petroleum
Answer:
(d)

Question 8.
The white semi-solid fraction of petroleum used for making vaseline is
(a) asphalt
(b) lubricating oil
(c) paraffin wax
(d) fuel oil
Answer:
(c)

Which of the following is a pair of exhaustible natural resources?

(a) coal and soil

(b) air and sun-light
(c) water and petroleum
(d) wildlife and minerals
Soln:
Answer is (d) wildlife and minerals
Explanation:
Coal and Soil, air and sunlight, water and petroleum. All these natural resources cannot be
exhausted by human consumption and other uses. Wildlife and minerals are exhaustible
natural resources, which are available in limited quantities and will be exhausted as a result of
continuous use.
Fossil fuels are obtained from:
(a) remains of non-living materials.
(b) dead remains of birds only.
(c) dead remains of insects only.
(d) dead remains of living organisms.
Soln:
Answer is (d) dead remains of living organisms
Explanation:
Fossil fuels are obtained millions of years ago remains of dead remains of living organisms.
Get buried under the earth.
Coal is formed from the remains of
(a) vegetation only
(b) animals only
(c) both vegetation and animals
(d) neither vegetation nor animals
Soln:
Answer is (a) vegetation only
Explanation:
Coal is a fossil fuel formed from the remains of prehistoric plants or animals. The formation
of coal occurs over millions of years via a process known as carbonation.
Naphthalene balls are obtained from coal tar and are used as:
(a) mosquito repellant
(b) honey bee repellant
(c) moth repellant
(d) snake repellant
Soln:
Answer is (c) moth repellant
Explanation:
Naphthalene balls are chemical pesticide and deodorant, the characteristic smell of
naphthalene makes the insects and moth run away from naphthalene stored under clothes etc.
Which of the following is not a constituent of petroleum?
(a) paraffin wax
(b) lubricating oil
(c) petrol
(d) coke
Soln:
Answer is (d) Coke
Explanation:
Coke is not a constituent of petroleum. It is almost a pure form of carbon.
Choose the incorrect statement from the following:
(a) It is difficult to transport natural gas through pipes.
(b) The disadvantage of natural gas is that it can not be used directly for burning in
homes.
(c) Natural gas is stored under high pressure as compressed natural gas.
(d) Natural gas cannot be used for power generation.
Soln:
Answer is (a) It is difficult to transport natural gas through pipes.
Explanation:
Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas, which is extracted from
the petroleum deposits deep beneath the earth. It is a highly flammable gas, therefore, it is
difficult to transport through pipes.

Very Short Answer Questions

Name the petroleum product used as fuel for stoves, lamps and jet aircraft.
Soln:
Kerosene is the petroleum product used as fuel for stoves, lamps and jet aircrafts.
Fill in the blanks in the following sentences.
(a) Coal is one of the ________ used to cook food.
(b) When heated in air, coal burns and produces mainly ________ gas.
(c) Coal tar is a black, thick ________ with an ________ smell.
(d) Petroleum, ________ and ________ are fossil fuels.
(e) Forests and coal are ________ natural resources.
Soln:
(a) Coal is one of the fuels used to cook food.
(b) When heated in air, coal burns and produces mainly Carbon-di-oxide gas.
(c) Coal tar is a black, thick liquid with an unpleasant smell.
(d) Petroleum, Coal and natural gas are fossil fuels.
(e) Forests and coal are exhaustible natural resources.
Fill in the blanks.
(a) The slow process of conversion of dead vegetation into coal is called__________.
(b) Coal and petroleum are formed from the dead remains of organisms and are known
as __________.
(c) The black thick liquid with __________ smell is known as coal tar.
(d) During the processing of coal to get coke, coal tar and __________ are also obtained.
(e) The process of separating the various constituents of petroleum is known as
__________.
(f) Excessive burning of fossil fuels is a major cause of __________.
Soln:
(a) The slow process of conversion of dead vegetation into coal is called carbonisation.
(b) Coal and petroleum are formed from the dead remains of organisms and are known
as fossil fuels.
(c) The black thick liquid with an unpleasant smell is known as coal tar.
(d) During the processing of coal to get a coke, coal tar and coal gas are also obtained.
(e) The process of separating the various constituents of petroleum is known as refining.
(f) Excessive burning of fossil fuels is a major cause of air pollution.
Write True/False against the following statements.
(a) Oxygen is an exhaustible natural resource.
(b) Resources which are present in unlimited quantity in nature are called exhaustible
natural resources.
(c) Wildlife is an exhaustible natural resource.
(d) Under high temperature and pressure, dead plants get slowly converted to coal.
(e) CNG is less polluting fuel than petrol and diesel.
Soln:
a) False
Explanation: Oxygen is not an exhaustible natural resource.
b) False,
Explanation: Resources which are present in unlimited quantity in nature are called
inexhaustible natural resources.
(c) True,
(d) True,
(e) True.
Short Answer Questions
Sunlight and air are inexhaustible natural resources. Comment.
Soln:
Sunlight and air are present in unlimited quantity in nature and are not likely to be exhausted
by human activities or by any other means. Hence Sunlight and the air are inexhaustible
natural resources.
21. Some natural resources are given in a box. Classify them into the exhaustible and
inexhaustible natural resources.
Air, Coal, Natural gas, Sunlight, Petroleum, Minerals, Forests and Oxygen.
Soln:

Exhaustible Inexhaustible

Coal Air

Forests Oxygen

Minerals Sunlight
 Petroleum

Natural gas

Look at Fig. 5.1 where petroleum and natural gas deposits are shown. Why do we find
the oil layer above the water layer?

Soln:
Oil is found above the water layer because oil is lighter than water, hence oil floats above
the water layer.
Fill in the blanks and complete the story.
About 300 million years ago the earth had dense ________ in low lying wetland areas.
Due to natural processes, like ______, these forests got burried under the ________. As
more ________ deposited over them, they were compressed. The ________ also rose as
they sank deeper and deeper. Under high ________ and high ________, dead plants got
slowly converted into coal.
Soln:
About 300 million years ago the earth had dense forests in low lying wetland areas. Due to
natural processes, like floods, these forests got buried under the soil. As more soil deposited
over them, they were compressed. The temperature also rose as they sank deeper and
deeper. Under high pressure and high temperature, dead plants got slowly converted into
coal.
Match the items given in Column I with the items of Column II.
 Column I Column II

(a) Used for road surfacing (i) Black gold

(b) Natural gas (ii) Vaseline and candles

(c) Petroleum (iii) Bitumen

(d) Paraffin wax (iv) CNG

Soln:

Column I Column II

(a) Used for road surfacing (iii) Bitumen

(b) Natural gas (iv) CNG

(c) Petroleum (i) Black gold

(d) Paraffin wax (ii) Vaseline and candles

Long Answer Questions

Name the products obtained and their uses when coal is processed in industry.
Soln:
Coke, coal tar and coal gas are the products obtained during the process of coal in the
industries.
Application of these products are:

1. Coal gas is used as fuel.

2. Coke is used as a reducing agent in the extraction of metals.
3. Coal tar is used as starting material for manufacturing various substances such as
synthetic dyes, drugs, explosives, perfumes, paints etc.

We read in newspapers that burning of fuels is a major cause of global warming.

Explain why?
Soln:
Burning of fuels leads to release of carbon-di-oxide, carbon-monoxide and SO2 gases. These
are the greenhouses gases that not only increases air pollution but also contribute to global
warming by trapping radiations from the sun.
Imagine that all the exhaustible natural resources are exhausted by human activities.
Do you think the survival of living beings would be possible.? If yes, why?, If not, why
not?
Soln:
If all the exhaustible natural resources are exhausted by human activities then survival of
living beings would be impossible. Fossil fuels are a very important source of energy for us
today. On burning fossil fuel, it gives off heat and light. The heat produced can be used to
cook food or to run engines such as automobile engines. It is also used to generate electricity
as in powerhouse where the most common fuel used is coal.
Why petrol is an exhaustible natural resource, whereas sunlight is not? Explain.
Soln:
Petrol is a fossil fuel, which is produced after years of decomposition of buried and plants
deep down the earth. For producing petrol we need millions of years. If we use petrol higher
than the requirement, it will get exhausted. Whereas the sun is a continuous and unlimited
source of energy. Sun is a renewable resource of energy which will not get exhausted.
Coal reserves are said to be enough to last for another hundred years. Do you think we
need to worry in such a case? Why or why not?
Soln:
Coal reserves are said to be enough to last for another hundred years. Because there will be
no availability of coal after the exhaust of existing coal resource. To produce coal it will take
millions of years. Dead organisms should be buried in the earth and it should decompose in
the absence of oxygen. For all these process coal formation needs millions of years.