Fossil Fuels
Recommended for grades 6–12.
Introduction
More than 80% of the world’s total energy comes from the burning of fossil fuels. Coal, natural gas, and petroleum (which includes oil and gasoline) are all used extensively throughout the world. The energy content of a fossil fuel is an important property. This property helps scientists and engineers determine the usefulness of a fuel. Energy content is the amount of heat produced by the burning of 1 gram of a substance, and is measured in units of joules per gram (J/g).
In this experiment, you will determine the energy content of a fuel by burning an amount of the fuel and capturing the heat released in a known mass of water. You will use a Temperature Probe to measure the initial and final temperatures of the water, then calculate the energy released.
Objectives
In this experiment, you will
- Use a Temperature Probe to measure the temperature of water.
- Use a balance.
- Determine the energy content of fuels.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?
Download Experiment Preview
The student-version preview includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for computer-based data collection
- List of materials and equipment
Note: The experiment preview of the computer edition does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. Instructions for Logger Pro and other software (such as LabQuest App or TI handheld software, where available) are on the CD that accompanies the book. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book before performing experiments.
Standards Correlations
See all standards correlations for Earth Science with Vernier »
Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.