Ethanol
... By the time we have used up all of the crude oil/fossil fuels, there would be a lot less fuel available, so finding out alternative sources to help prevent this from happening so quickly is to make other fuels biologically, such as ethanol. ... (a) Outline the use of ethanol as a fuel Ethanol is a liquid that can easily burn because when it combusts in air, it always releases carbon dioxide, water, and heat. In the equation the ethanol molecule contains an O atom, the combustion is complete. The equation below shows that ethanol when it is burned forms two carbon dioxide molecules and three water molecules, where these reactants can be used by plants in process photosynthesis. Being an exothermic reaction, people often who go on camps or hikes take ethanol as a fuel, because of how easily it can be transported from one place to another. It also has been proposed that ethanol could be a possible alternative fuel for Transport, such as cars. Because cars that are made at present, they can only take petrol containing ethanol as a fuel if it is not over 10-20% ethanol, where modifications of the engine would be needed to accept 100% ethanol as a fuel. The Combustion of Ethanol: C2H5OH(l) + 3O2(g) „³2CO2(g) + 3H2O(l) (b) Explain why ethanol can be called a renewable resource Ethanol is commonly know as an alcohol, and as a fuel. ... Adding yeast to the glucose fermenting the solution to form ethanol. When it is burned it performs complete combustion which produces carbon dioxide and water which runs in a circle, whereby carbon dioxide and water can be reconverted back into ethanol.