Question

Both cellular respiration and the burning of fossils fuels release energy. This can be attributed to

A)
the breaking of bonds during oxidation.
B)
the reduction of carbon to carbon dioxide.
C)
the formation of bonds in new organic compounds.
Eliminate
D)
the hydrolysis of water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen.

Answer 1

The answer is

A) the breaking of bonds during oxidation.

Fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon which contains carbon and hydrogen and when it is burnt the carbon forms carbon dioxide and the hydrogen forms water. For both these processes the fuel uses free oxygen from the air. In both cases the formation of the Carbon-Oxygen and Hydrogen-Oxygen chemical bonds produces energy in the form of heat.