Fuel Types and Uses
Introduced| English |
|---|
| crude oil/kruːd ɔɪl/ |
| Gasoline/ˈɡæsəliːn/ |
| Diesel/ˈdiːzl/ |
| Coal/kəʊl/ |
| Natural gas/ˈnætʃərəl ɡæs/ |
| refinery/rɪˈfaɪnəri/ |
Different fuels, different jobs
- Not every fuel is used the same way.
- Some move our cars; some light our homes.
- The fuel we pick depends on the job.
- Let's match each fuel to what it does best.
Fuels for transport
- Most vehicles run on fuels refined from crude oil 原油.
- Gasoline 汽油 (petrol) powers most cars.
- Diesel 柴油 powers trucks, buses, and trains.
- Jet fuel powers airplanes — all come from the same crude oil.
Which fuel powers most cars?
Gasoline, refined from oil, is the main transport fuel. Coal and uranium make electricity, not car fuel.
Fuels for electricity and heat
- Coal 煤炭 is burned in power stations to make electricity.
- Natural gas 天然气 heats homes, cooks food, and also makes electricity.
- Wood and charcoal are burned for cooking and heat, especially in poorer areas.
- Uranium fuels nuclear power stations that make electricity.
What is each fuel mainly used for?
Sort each fuel by its main use - moving vehicles or making electricity and heat.
Coal is mainly used to…
Coal is burned in power stations to boil water and spin turbines that generate electricity.
Many homes burn natural ____ to heat rooms and cook food.
Natural gas is a common heating and cooking fuel, and also generates electricity.
From crude oil to many fuels
- Crude oil out of the ground is a mixture, not one fuel.
- A refinery 炼油厂 heats it and splits it into parts.
- Light parts become gasoline; heavier parts become diesel and jet fuel.
- One raw material becomes many fuels for many uses.
Crude oil is refined into different fuels like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
A refinery splits crude oil into many fuels, each suited to a different engine or use.
Select all fuels made from crude oil.
Gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel are all refined from crude oil. Uranium is a mined nuclear fuel.
Match the fuel to the use. Cars and planes need a liquid fuel that packs a lot of energy into a small tank — that is why oil products dominate transport. Power stations can use bulky solid coal or piped gas because they don't move. Don't say "cars run on coal" — the form of the fuel matters.
Following the oil:
- Crude oil is pumped up and sent to a refinery.
- There it is split: the light fraction fills a car's gasoline tank, the middle fraction becomes diesel for a truck, and some becomes jet fuel for a plane.
- Meanwhile, next door, a power station burns coal to keep the lights on.
Fuels are matched to their use. Transport runs on liquid fuels refined from crude oil — gasoline for cars, diesel for trucks, jet fuel for planes. Electricity and heat come from coal, natural gas, wood, and uranium. A refinery splits crude oil into many different fuels for many different jobs.