Contents:
• General Information
• Energy Calculations
• Journal Entry -- CT 4.1 & CT 4.14  "Energy in the News" & "Shipping Oil"
• Heats of Combustion  "Flick of a Bic"
• Climate Change Forum Bonus Journal Entry
• Case Study: "Ethanol of Biodiesel?"
• Writing Assignment for Chapter 4
• Documentation 

• General Information: Much of the material in Chapter 4 lends itself to developing algorithms for solving problems and highly provocative discussions.  We will solve some "number crunching" problems and consider two of these "provocative issues" in particular. There is a significant amount of material about energy and energy sources on the Web.  This page was prepared to serve as a launch point as you prepare for the group discussion questions.  You will find helpful material on the Chemistry in Context Site as well as on the External Links page. Use the The Pitt University Library on-line data bases and the web resources starting at the Chemistry in Context Site as your resources.
   
• Energy Transformation and Energy Efficiency -  As an introduction to the chapter on Wednesday (2/16) we will consider the energy content of a serving of animal crackers (130 Cal, 540 kJ, for 6 crackers) and the work necessary to "burn off" the calories consumed (YT 4.2, SC 4.3).  We will also consider the energy efficiency of gas vs. electric heat ( p 156 and SC 4.5).  For further practice with these calculations, check the energy output of a coal fired power plant (YT 4.6).
  
  
• "Energy in the News" (CT 4.1) and "Shipping Oil" (CT 4.14)   Have you thought much about how much energy you use?  How many millions of barrels of oil meet your personal energy needs? What about the energy needs of the entire nation? As we study the material in Chapter 4 you will find yourself growing more aware of energy topics!
  • Take a look at figures 4.11 and 4.12 (pp 170-171) in your text
  • You might also find the U.S Department of Energy Energy Information Association web site helpful. In particular, check the link for United States under the the International Petroleum (Oil) Imports and Exports page. The Crude Oil and Total Petroleum Imports has a link that will give you the information you need.  
  • Complete the questions in CT 4.1 and 4.14 as your journal entry for the week of February 21, 2011. Your answers should be in the form of  well-organized paragraphs.


• Heats of Combustion - a Flick of a Bic  It is possible to use bond energies to determine the energy released (or absorbed) in a chemical reaction.  On Monday, February 21, 2011 we will work through Your Turn 4.8 in class.  You can apply the same algorithm (pattern of steps) to calculate heats of combustion for acetylene (YT 4.9 ) and the bond energies associated with several other chemical reactions (see problems 7 through 15 at the end of the chapter). Problems 7 through 15 at the end of the chapter are due as homework on Friday, February 25, 2011.

•  Climate Change Forum -  Thursday, February 24, 2011 - Cambria Room - The Climate Change Forum is a campus-wide event that engages students, faculty, administration and the community in a discussion about climate change and how we might reduce its impact or mitigate its effects. The focus of this year's Climate Change Forum will be Sustainable Energy Choices, Green Building Technologies and Green Energy Jobs.  These themes fit logically with the themes of Chapter 4.  Plan to attend at least one of the sessions listed below. Prepare a summary of the presentation and reflect on the connections to the material in Chapter 4.  This will count as a 10 point bonus journal entry for the week of February 21. 
  
  • 9:30 or 10 a.m. to noon:  Sustainable Energy Choices. Representatives from several energy fields will present brief overviews and participate in a panel discussion.
  • 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.:  Green Building Technologies. Mechanical Engineering Technology students and representatives from local engineering and architectural firms, and the University of Pittsburgh Faculty Senate Sustainability Subcommittee will discuss recent applications of green building technologies.
  • 2 to 4 p.m.: Jobs in the Green Sector. A panel discussion featuring Pitt-Johnstown graduates. 

• Case Study: "Ethanol or Biodiesel: A Systems Analysis Decision"  This group activity involves a case study. You are an intern in the Congressional budget analysis office. Your first task is to make an estimate of the relative energy efficiencies between biodiesel and corn-based ethanol. The details of the first part of the case can be found on the web. Additional material will be posted on CourseWeb.
• We'll do this as a group project in class the week of February 28. In preparation for the group exercise:
  • Research the methods used to generate ethanol from corn and convert soybeans to biodiesel.
    • Your text has some excellent background information on the chemistry involved in the production of the two fuels (see section 4.10).
    • Make a list of the fossil fuel energy inputs that go into growing corn and soybeans. Consider farm energy and non-farm energy.
    • Make a list of side-products that result from the preparation of the two fuels. Your text and the text for the case have good suggestions.
    • What are the economic issues associated with making such a conversion?
    • What are the environmental issues associated with making a conversion?
      • Are there concerns about emission with ethanol or biodiesel?
      • How are emissions (CO, CO₂, NO_x or SO_x) improved using ethanol or biodiesel?
      • If we use crops to generate fuels does this take away from crops for food?  How?
    • Are there barriers to making this conversion?  How might they be overcome?
    • Pay attention to the COST OF PRODUCING the energy through this alternative as compared to the ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS.
    • Resources:
      • Google "bio mass",  fuel" and "Soy Diesel"
      • Search using "gasohol" on the Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy.
      • Check the resources suggested for problem 43 at the end of the Chapter.
  • Record the results of your research and you own impressions as your journal entry for the week of February 28, 2011.
• The second part of the case is analysis of the information you have collected. This is the group activity. As the intern working in the Congressional Budget Analysis Office, what information will you include in your report? Therefore you will want to complete your journal entry before Wednesday, March 2. Bring your research notes to class on Wednesday, March 2.

• Writing Assignment for Chapter 4 
  • Now it's Your Turn:  What if the next Energy appropriations bill were to include allocating research funds for an alternate fuel project -- corn-to-ethanol or conversion of soybeans to biodiesel. Using the results of your research and group work on the "Ethanol or Biodiesel?" case study which do you think is the wiser use of Federal funds? Why? Write a letter to your Senator or Congressional Representative explaining why the corn-to-ethanol (or conversion of soybeans to biodiesel) is the better choice.
  • Format: Your paper should follow the Guidelines for writing papers & citing references:
    Mechanics - Your letter should be written in the first person and in the active voice (if possible). Follow the general format of a well organized three to five paragraph essay. Use good style and develop your arguments logically using either inductive or deductive reasoning. You must also include:
    • A well developed introduction and conclusion.
    • Be sure to base your argument on the results of your research.
    • Some questions you may want to consider addressing in your letter:
      • A summary of the qualitative energy inputs & outputs.
      • The results of your relative efficiency calculations for the two biofuels.
      • What are the advantages that make corn-based ethanol or biodiesel a desirable alternative?
      • What would be the environmental and economic impacts of switching to this alternative?
      • Should we consider this for all or our energy needs?  or just some of our energy needs?
      • Use the answers to the questions in Part II of the Case Study (the class activity) to strengthen your argument.
    • Be sure to use the standard format for a business letter.
    • You can  locate your Senator at the U.S. Senate web page
    • You can  locate your Congressional Representative at the U.S. House of Representatives web page.
    • Use well organized paragraphs; watch sentence structure, grammar, word choice, spelling, punctuation, etc. ... (Check the list of Pitfalls to Avoid)
    • The letter  must be typed and no more than two pages long!
    • Proper citation for all of your references. List the references you cite on a separate page -- using proper documentation style.
    • In case you were wondering ... Criteria used for Grading Writing Assignments
  • Details:
    • The assignment is worth the usual 20 points and is due by 12 midnight Friday, March 25, 2011
    • Type the assignment. 
    • Be sure to watch the usual: sentence structure, grammar, word choice, spelling, punctuation, etc. ...
      Be sure to document all of the references - including web resources.
    • Submit an electronic copy through Turn-it-in by 12 midnight Friday, March 25, 2011. Save it as a MSWord file or in Rich Text Format (RTF) to submit the electronic copy. Use the file name LastnameICh04W (where "LastnameI" is your last name followed by your initial) to name your file.

Other Useful Links

• How to reach Dr. Bell-Loncella 
• Chem 0080 Home Page
  • BlackBoard site for Chemistry 0080
  • Chem 0080 Course Outline
  • Chem 0080 Syllabus
  • The Chemistry in Context web page
• Starting point for Prep Chem
• Center Point for General Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry (Chem 1131) Home Page
• The Academic Success Center