Tag: Combustion

The average American household uses around 87 million British thermal units (BTUs) of energy each year, with much of that derived from fuels. This stored energy, which powers our cars, heats our homes, and runs industrial processes, isn't called simply "fuel energy." The proper term for the energy stored within fuels is chemical potential energy.

Food labels measure the energy content of food in calories, a unit of energy, proving that food inherently stores energy. When food is burned, this stored chemical energy is released, much like wood in a fireplace. This release of energy is a fundamental concept in chemistry and nutrition, revealing what happens to the energy our bodies use for fuel.

According to Safety Data Sheets (SDS), fish oil has a smoke point above 320°F and a fire point above 650°F. Yes, fish oil can be burned, but its burning properties are complex and different from typical cooking or petroleum oils.

Did you know a single peanut can release enough energy in a calorimetry experiment to significantly increase the temperature of a small amount of water? This dramatic demonstration of stored chemical potential energy reveals the fiery process of combustion, answering the core question of what happens when you burn a peanut.

Over 90% of the world's commercial transportation is powered by fuel that contains specific hydrocarbon compounds. Understanding the chemical makeup of these energy sources, and exactly what are the main components of fuel, is essential for appreciating everything from how a car's engine functions to the global energy market.

The calorific value of paper and cardboard products averages around 15.8 MJ/kg, based on higher heating value (HHV) data. This energy content, released during combustion, makes paper and cardboard a viable fuel source for waste-to-energy facilities, but several factors can influence its actual heating potential.

Globally, over 80% of our energy is derived from fossil fuels, a category that includes natural gas. A fuel source is any material that stores potential energy that can be converted into useful work or heat, often through combustion. This article explores what are two examples of a fuel source, contrasting a widely used fossil fuel with a traditional renewable option.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a gallon of gasoline contains the energy equivalent of about 31,000 food calories. In technical terms, this is known as the fuel's calorific value or energy density, a critical metric for understanding how much energy is released during combustion.

According to scientific definitions, a true energy source must produce usable power or work. While many things contribute to an energy-producing process, not everything involved is an actual source of energy. The question of which one is not a source of energy can be surprisingly tricky, as some substances that seem fundamental, like oxygen, are in fact catalysts, not producers, of energy.