Propane
  • Gas (but liquid when in the storage tank).
  • Made from crude oil. Crude oil is found deep in the ground and has to be drilled for.
  • Used in boilers to heat water, and in fires and for cookers. It is more expensive than natural gas and is only used by people who do not have gas pipes coming to their homes. It is supplied in large bottles or tanks. Cars, lorries and buses can be altered so they will run on propane.
  • A very clean fuel, producing no smoke and ash. It produces carbon dioxide and water when burned.
/ Coal
  • Solid.
  • A fossil fuel that has to be dug out of the ground by miners.
  • Used in boilers for heating water, or for fires. Less expensive than fuel oil, more expensive than natural gas.
  • Most coal burns to make unpleasant gases like sulphur dioxide. Carbon dioxide, water, smoke and ash are also produced.

Ethanol
  • Liquid.
  • Made from sugar by fermentation.
  • Can be used as a fuel for cars. It is cheaper than petrol in countries that have big factories that make it (like Brazil). The cars have to be modified to run on ethanol.
  • Ethanol is a clean fuel. It produces only carbon dioxide and water when burnt.
/ Peat
  • Found just below the surface and is very easy to dig up.
  • Peat is dried out and burnt as a fuel. By digging it up people are destroying peat bogs. Peat bogs are very rare and have a unique set of plants and animals found on them.
  • Burns to give carbon dioxide, water, ash and lots of smoke.

Paraffin
  • Liquid.
  • Made from crude oil by an expensive process.
Crude oil is found deep in the ground and has to be drilled for.
  • Paraffin is used mainly in small heaters. It is about the same price as fuel oil.
  • A smoky fuel but makes no ash. It burns to make carbon dioxide and water.
/ Methane
  • Gas.
  • Found underground or made from rotting rubbish.
Methane from underground is called natural gas and has to be drilled for.
  • Used in boilers to heat water, in fires and for cookers. It can be used as a fuel in cars and buses, but these have to be modified to use it. It is cheaper than coal or fuel oil.
  • A very clean fuel, producing no smoke or ash. It produces carbon dioxide and water when burned.

Rape seed oil fuel
  • Liquid.
  • Made from rape seed oil.
  • Fuel made from rape seed oil is still experimental.
It is very like diesel and it can be used in lorries and cars as fuel.
  • A clean fuel that burns producing mainly carbon dioxide and water.
/ Smokeless fuel
  • Solid.
  • Made from coal.
  • Used in boilers for heating water, and for fires. More expensive than coal, fuel oil or natural gas.
  • Burns with little smoke, so it can be used in 'smokeless zones'. Makes carbon dioxide, water and a small amount of unpleasant gases like sulphur dioxide when it burns. Burns to ash.

Hydrogen
  • Gas.
  • Made from water.
  • Cars have been made that use hydrogen as a fuel, but they are still experimental. Hydrogen is quite cheap, but is very explosive when mixed with oxygen and must be stored at very low temperature.
  • Hydrogen is a very clean fuel – it produces only water when burned.

© Harcourt Education Ltd 2004 Catalyst 3

This worksheet may have been altered from the original on the CD-ROM.