Methanol is a liquid fuel that is often used in racing cars. The thermochemical equation for its complete combustion is
\(\ce{2CH3OH(l) + 3O2(g)\rightarrow 2CO2(g) + 4H2O(l) \quad \quad \ \ \ \Delta H = –1450 kJ mol^{–1}}\)
Octane is a principal constituent of petrol, which is used in many motor vehicles. The thermochemical equation for
the complete combustion of octane is
\(\ce{2C8H18(l) + 25O2(g)\rightarrow 16CO2(g) + 18H2O(l) \quad \quad \Delta H = –10\ 900 kJ mol^{-1}}\)
The molar mass of methanol is 32 g mol\(^{-1}\) and the molar mass of octane is 114 g mol\(^{–1}\). Which one of the following statements is the most correct?
- Burning just 1.0 g of octane releases almost 96 kJ of heat energy.
- Burning just 1.0 g of methanol releases almost 23 kJ of heat energy.
- Octane releases almost eight times more energy per kilogram than methanol.
- The heat energy released by methanol will not be affected if the oxygen supply is limited.