Unlike direct combustion of fuel, fuel cells
A - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 8 - 2022 - Paper 1
Question 8
Unlike direct combustion of fuel, fuel cells
A. can be recharged.
B. do not produce greenhouse gases.
C. require electrical energy to overcome the activation energy ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Unlike direct combustion of fuel, fuel cells
A - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 8 - 2022 - Paper 1
Step 1
A. can be recharged.
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Answer
Fuel cells are fundamentally different from batteries and can indeed be recharged. However, they do not have a recharge mechanism like batteries; they primarily require the continuous supply of fuel and oxidizer.
Step 2
B. do not produce greenhouse gases.
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Answer
While fuel cells themselves can operate with minimal emissions, it largely depends on the source of the hydrogen used. If generated from renewable sources, they can be considered cleaner than fossil fuel combustion.
Step 3
C. require electrical energy to overcome the activation energy barrier.
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Answer
Fuel cells do not require an external energy source to start the reaction, as the chemical reaction that occurs is spontaneous, provided the reactants are available.
Step 4
D. do not have direct contact between the oxidising and reducing agents.
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Answer
This statement is true. In a fuel cell, the oxidizer and reducer are separated by an electrolyte which allows ionic conduction while preventing the direct mixing of the two.
