Question

What is an important use of petroleum? A) making plaster C) as abrasives B) making glass D) making gasoline

Short answer

D) making gasoline

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Question

We need to identify one important use of petroleum from the given options. Petroleum is a natural resource often refined and processed into various products for different applications.

Analyze Each Option

Let's evaluate each given option: - A) Making plaster: This typically involves gypsum, not petroleum. - B) Making glass: This primarily uses sand, soda ash, and limestone. - C) As abrasives: Common abrasives include materials like silicon carbide, not petroleum. - D) Making gasoline: Petroleum is refined to produce gasoline, a primary fuel for vehicles.

Identify the Correct Answer

Based on our analysis, option D (making gasoline) involves the direct usage of petroleum, as it is refined into various fuels including gasoline.

Key concepts

Gasoline Production

Gasoline is one of the primary products derived from petroleum through a process known as refining. This particular fuel is essential for powering internal combustion engines, which are commonly found in vehicles such as cars and motorcycles. The production of gasoline involves several key steps:

• **Distillation**: Crude oil is heated, and its components are separated based on boiling points.
• **Cracking**: Large hydrocarbons are broken down into smaller, more useful molecules specifically to enhance the quantity of gasoline.
• **Reforming**: The chemical structure of some fractions is altered to increase octane levels, improving fuel quality.

Understanding this process is crucial because gasoline is one of the most widely used petroleum products due to its indispensability in transportation. As society moves towards alternative energy sources, the demand for gasoline remains high, making it a significant focus within the petroleum industry.

Natural Resources

Natural resources are materials or substances that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain or industrial purposes. Petroleum, often referred to as "liquid gold," is a crucial natural resource. It is formed from ancient organic materials over millions of years under significant heat and pressure beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum plays a vital role in the global economy for several reasons:

• **Energy Production**: It is a primary source of energy, fueling electricity generation and heating.
• **Raw Material**: Used in the production of chemicals, plastics, and other synthetic materials.
• **Economic Impact**: Countries with large petroleum reserves possess significant power in the global market.

The exploration and management of natural resources like petroleum are critical activities that influence policy, economics, and sustainability studies.

Petroleum Refining

Petroleum refining is the industrial process of converting crude oil into useful products. This complex procedure is pivotal in producing materials that have practical applications, including fuels and lubricants. Key processes within petroleum refining include:

• **Desalting**: Removal of impurities such as salts and sediments.
• **Fractional Distillation**: Separation of crude oil into various components like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
• **Hydrotreating**: Enhances the quality of fuel by removing sulfur and nitrogen compounds.
• **Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC)**: A technique used to increase the yield of valuable light hydrocarbons.

The end result of refining is a wide array of products, each serving different industries. The refining process is crucial to making petroleum a versatile resource, ensuring its usability across multiple facets of daily life and industry.