CRUDE OIL, HYDROCARBONS, ALKANES

What is crude oil

A fossil fuel made up of the remains of ancient biomass

**Finite resource**

What is a hydrocarbon

A compound made of only hydrogen, carbon atoms

What are alkanes

Saturated hydrocarbons: C(n)H(2n+2)

What is homologous series

Series of compounds:

same general formula

similar chemical properties

same functional groups

Combustion of hydrocarbons

Exothermic reaction

Carbon and hydrogen are **oxidised**

Complete combustion: carbon dioxide + water

Incomplete combustion: carbon **OR** carbon monoxide + water

Describe the trend of alkanes

Boiling point **increases** down the group

Viscosity **increases** down the group

Volatility **decreases** down the group

Flammability **decreases** down the group

Describe factional distillation of crude oil

Crude oil is heated + vaporised

Vapour rises up fractionating collumn

Collumn is hotter at the bottom, cooler at top

Hydrocarbons cool as they go up the collumn

They condense at different heights (different **BPs**)

**Large** molecules = **High boiling point** = Collects at **bottom**

**Small** molecules = **Low boiling point** = Collects at **top**

What are the first four alkanes

**M**ethane

**E**thane

**P**rotane

**B**utane

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**(Monkeys Eat Perfect Bananas)**

What is the formula of ethane

C H**4**

What is the formula of methane

C**2** H**6**

What is the formula of protane

C**3** H**8**

What is the formula of butane

C**4** H**10**

What can fractions be used for

producing **fuels** or **feedstock** for petrochemical industry

What fuels can crude oil make

Petrol

Diesel Oil

Kerosene

What do petrochemical industries make

Solvents

Lubricants

Polymers

Detergents