Re: energy in the tank

[Tim O'Donnell <odonnt@CELINA.K12.OH.US>]

> I think we should be VERY careful about referring to
> energy stored in the gas tank. It reinforces the
> faulty notion on the part of many students that
> chemical bonds store energy. This is not true since
> energy is released as bonds form; energy must be added
> to a molecule to break bonds. The oxidation of
> gasoline takes us to a lower potential well and energy
> is released in the reaction, but it was not "stored"
> in the gasoline.
But ultimately more energy is released and that energy
came from the gasoline changing to water and carbon
dioxide which have lower energy.  I would say the
gasoline has "stored" energy. So does the water and
carbon dioxide - we just haven't figured a economical way
of getting it out to use.