Burning

… is a chemical reaction: fusion with oxygen

Coal: C + O2 ® CO2
Hydrogen (gas): H 2 + O2 ® H 2O
More precisely: 2 H 2 + O2 ® 2 H 2O
Octane (car fuel):
2C8 H18 + 25O2 ® 16 CO2 + 18H 2O

Oxygen
coming form the air Notice: number of atoms is conserved.
(No change of nuclei in chemistry!)
 Question 13
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What is burning?
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A The production of heat.
B Conversion of electrical energy into heat and light.
C A chemical fusion with oxygen.
D A nuclear reaction that turns hydrogen, carbon, or other
chemical elements into more complicated ones and
releases heat.
E The production of energy.
 Question 14
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What chemical do you need (other than the coal)
for burning coal and what is the result? sec
A Need: oxygen; Result: carbon dioxide.
B Need: carbon; Result: oxygen.
C Need: hydrogen; Result: water.
D Need: nitrogen; Result: nitrogen acid.

E Need: oxygen; Result: only ash.

 What fuels the stars?
Stars radiate a lot of energy: need to keep up for a long time - need very effective fuel

Logic:
(1) calculate total radiated energy
(2) divide by energy contained per kg of known fuel
(3) get max time that fuel can maintain star

Burning wood: 20 years

Burning car fuel: 230 years
Best chemical process: 2,100 years
Radioactive decay: 10 years
Not nearly long enough
Nuclear fission: 2000 years
(atomic bomb)

(Numbers refer to the Sun)

(hydrogen bomb)

Nuclear fusion: 10 billion years That is what it is!

 The calculation
Stars radiate a lot of energy: need to keep up for a long time - need very effective fuel

Logic:
(1) calculate total radiated energy
(2) divide by energy contained per kg of known fuel
(3) get max time that fuel can maintain star

Here is the calculation:

1: The solar constant is 1,400 W/m2; this crosses each m2 of a sphere with radius 1 AU = 1.51011 m.
2: Surface area of this sphere = 4r2 = 4  3.14  (1.51011 m)2 = 2.83 1023 m2
3: The total power radiated by the Sun is 1,400 W/m 2  1023 m2 = 3.97 1026 W
4: The mass of the Sun is 1.99 1030 kg
5: The power produced per each kg is 3.97 1026 W/ 1.99 1030 kg = 2 10-4 W/kg - does not look much
6: Hydrogen burning (2H+OH2O) releases 1.33 107 W sec / kg energy per kilogram, so it could last
(1.33 107 W sec / kg) / (2 10-4 W/kg) = 6.65 1010 sec = 2,100 years
Nuclear processes

Decay (occurs in nature)

Fission (Reactors & A-bomb)

Fusion (H-bomb)

Nuclear processes

Don’t confuse with chemical processes!

They don’t change one atom into another.
Questions coming …
 Question 15
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What provides the energy to keep the Sun shining?

A It burns hydrogen into water.

B It produces helium from hydrogen. sec
C It produces heavier elements from helium.
D It is hot and cooling slowly as it gives off its heat.

Next question coming …