Video Transcript
In which application is kerosene used as
a primary fuel? A) Aircraft. B) Power stations. C) Cars. D) Domestic heating. Or E) trains.
Kerosene is the name of a fraction of
crude oil. It sits between gasoline and diesel. In the fractionating column, diesel comes
out earlier and gasoline comes out a little later. Kerosene is a very popular fuel for jet
engines and for tractors. Now, we can go through the applications
and see which one applies. Jets are a form of aircraft with jet
engines, so we would expect kerosene to be used as a primary fuel in this case. So, we’ve already found our answer. Kerosenes are used as a primary fuel in
some aircraft, but let’s have a look at the other options just in case.
Power stations tend to use coal much more
than thay’d use liquid fuels. Liquid fuels are easier to transport and
much better for small mobile applications. Coal, on the other hand, is cheaper and
much better for mass energy production. So, B is not a correct answer. Cars are a form of automobile and are
more likely to be using gasoline than other types of fuel. There are, however, diesel-powered cars,
but those would use diesel and not kerosene.
The fuels in domestic heating will tend
to be petroleum gas, natural gas, or wood. While kerosene is used for cooking on
mobile stoves, it doesn’t tend to be used for heating. And lastly, trains, modern trains are
mostly electric, but historically they used coal rather than oil or oil based products. So, kerosene would not be used as a
primary fuel in this application. So, the answer to which application is
kerosene used as a primary fuel is aircraft.