Interactions among Earth's five Subsystems influence climate

Changes in Climate

Weigh the pros and cons of using fossil fuels versus nuclear energy to produce electricity.

 

Oil

Energy is the ability to do work or produce change. One source of energy is fuel. A fuel is any material that releases energy in a chemical change. For example, wood is a fuel that releases energy when it burns. Generally, when a fuel produces energy, some of the energy is released as heat. In most cases, the heat is used to do work. For example, the heat released by a campfire can be used to keep people warm and to cook food.

Multiple Choice

Energy is the ability to do work or produce change.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Key Terms

Coal - form of petroleum when it first comes out of the ground

Natural Gas - fossil fuel composed primarily of methane

Hydrocarbon - type of compound made of carbon and hydrogen atoms.

Fossil - coal, oil, or natural gas

Petroleum - remains or traces of an organism that have turned to rock

Fossil Fuel - single largest energy resource in the world today

Crude Oil - fossil fuel that formed from the remains of ancient swamp plants.

 

Oil, or petroleum, is a liquid fossil fuel. It is currently the single largest source of energy in the world. When oil first comes out of the ground, it is called crude oil. It is a thick, dark brown or black liquid. It forms from the remains of tiny organisms that live at the sea surface and then sink to the seafloor when they die, forming layers of deposits. As the layers pile up, heat and pressure increase. Over millions of years, the dead organisms turn into liquid oil.

Crude oil is a mixture of many different hydrocarbons.

Multiple Choice

About 90 percent of the energy used worldwide for transportation is provided by oil.

• TRUE

• FALSE

To separate the different hydrocarbons, crude oil must be broken down, or refined, in plants called refineries. Refining is possible because each hydrocarbon in crude oil boils at a different temperature. When the oil is boiled in a refinery, the different hydrocarbons boil off at different times and are collected separately. Most of the compounds that come out of the refining process are fuels, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel. Because these fuels are rich sources of energy and can be transported easily, they provide about 90 percent of the energy used for transportation around the world. The rest of the compounds from crude oilare used to make products such as waxes, plastics, and fertilizers.

Multiple Choice

Fossil fuels form because of intense heat and pressure on organic remains.

• TRUE

• FASLE

The United States produces oil but only about one-quarter as much as the nation uses. The United States has only about 1.5% of the world’s proven oil reserves, so most of the oil used by Americans must be imported from other

nations. In the United States, the main oil-producing regions are the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Alaska, and California.

Multiple Choice

In the United States, the main oil-producing regions are the

• Texas, Austin, Turkey, China and Alaska.

• El Paso, Juarez, Seattle, and Texas.

• Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Alaska, and California.

......

Most offshore drilling occurs in the Gulf of Mexico. As in every type of mining, mining for oil has environmental consequences. Oil rigs are unsightly and spills are all too common. Oil spills can be disastrous to ecosystems.

Multiple Choice

Natural gas does not have to be processed before it can be used as a fuel.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

The U.S. no longer has any functioning nuclear power plants.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

At current rates of use, oil and natural gas will not run out for many centuries.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Critical Reading

1. Crude oil forms from the remains of tiny organisms that live at the sea surface and then sink to the seafloor when they die. Eventually, layers of deposits build up. As they do, heat and pressure increase. Over millions of years, the dead organisms turn into liquid oil.

2. Crude oil is a mixture of many different hydrocarbons. It is refined to separate the different hydrocarbons for different uses. Each hydrocarbon in crude oil boils at a different temperature. When oil is boiled in a refinery, the different hydrocarbons boil off at different times and are collected separately.

3. Fuels from crude oil include gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. These fuels are so widely used for transportation because they are rich sources of energy and can be transported easily.

4. Besides fuels, products that can be made from crude oil include waxes, plastics, and fertilizers.

5. The United States has only about 1.5 percent of the world’s known oil reserves. The nation produces oil but only about one-quarter as much as it uses. The main oil-producing regions of the United States are the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Alaska, and California. Most offshore drilling occurs in the Gulf of Mexico.

: Both fossil fuels and the uranium used to produce nuclear energy are nonrenewable energy resources. Therefore, both types of fuels will run out eventually. Using fossil fuels to produce electricity produces air pollution as well as carbon dioxide, which causes global warming. Producing nuclear energy does not pollute the atmosphere or release carbon dioxide. However, it does produce nuclear waste that is difficult to dispose of safely because it remains hazardous for thousands of years.

Multiple Choice

Besides fuels, products that can be made from crude oil include

• rocks, glue, and plastics.

• fertilizers, waxes and tables.

• waxes, plastics, and fertilizers.

Multiple Choice

Crude Oil - fossil fuel that formed from the remains of ancient swamp plants.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

Hydrocarbon - type of compound made of carbon and hydrogen atoms.

• TRUE

• FALSE