Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Question 1
Biodiesel, can be made from plant oils as an alternative to fossil fuel diesel. Biodiesel can be burned in
normal diesel engines.
(a) (i) Where does the energy for plant growth come from?
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(1 mark)
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(1 mark)
(iii) Explain why biodiesel is a renewable fuel.
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(2 marks)
(b) Biodiesel releases carbon dioxide when it burns but this does not result in an overall increase in the
amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
(i) At which of the stages shown in Figure 1 is carbon dioxide removed from the air?
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(1 mark)
(ii) What happens to the carbon in the carbon dioxide when the gas is removed from the air at this
stage.
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(1 mark)
(c) Transport in Britain released 21% of all greenhouse gas emissions in 2007. In order to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions the UK Government has set a target of 10% of transport energy to come
from sustainably produced renewables by 2020. Biofuels, including biodiesel, are expected to
provide a significant part of this 10%.
Figure 2 Life Cycle Assessment of the carbon dioxide released during the cultivation, processing and
distribution of plant derived biodiesel as well as the annual emissions from any change of land use,
assuming these are spread over 20 years.
(i) In Britain all diesel, now must include 3.3% biodiesel. As Figure 2 shows there is a wide choice of
sources.
If reduction of greenhouse gas emissions was the sole criterion, which source of biodiesel would you
expect an oil company to choose? Explain your answer with reference to the data in Figure 2.
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(3 marks)
(ii) Suggest two other criteria, apart from cost, that you think should also be considered in choosing a
source of biodiesel. Explain the significance of each of the two criteria.
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(4 marks)
(d) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the use of biofuel as a way of reducing Britains
greenhouse gas emissions from transport. Compare the use of biofuel to at least one other way of
reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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(6 marks)
Total 19 marks