PHYS 016 Study Guide - Final Guide: Electric Generator, Capacity Factor, Wavelength
Document Summary
The quantity is 98 quad btu, where quad =10^15, or about 10^17 btu/year. It is easy to calculate this from the fossil fuel burned. For example, coal, carbon, has an atomic mass of 12. One atom of carbon combines with 2 atoms of oxygen (2 x 16 atomic mass to give 12 +(2x16) = 44 atomic mass of co2. Thus one ton of coal gives 44/12 = 3. 67 tons of co2. We can do the same for methane burning. Methane is ch4 with an atomic mass of 12 +4(1): thus one ton of methane produces 44/16 = 2. 75 tons of co2. For gasoline use ch2, with atomic mass of 14 and get about 3 tons (44/14) of co2 per ton of gasoline burned. The mix of coal vs gasoline vs natural gas (methane) has been changing over time. The coal ash is the result of non-coal material mixed in with the coal in the mined deposit.
