Topic 8 - Fuels and Earth Science

• What are natural gas and crude oil formed from?

  Ancient remains of microscopic animals and plants
• How are the remains of ancient organisms transformed into fossil fuels?

  They are covered by layers of sediment and transformed over millions of years
• Why are natural gas and crude oil considered finite resources?

  They are not being made any more or are being made extremely slowly
• What is a hydrocarbon?

  A compound that contains hydrogen and carbon atoms only
• What is the chemical formula for methane?

  $CH₄$
• What does the prefix "Meth-" indicate in hydrocarbons?

  1 carbon atom
• What does the prefix "Eth-" indicate in hydrocarbons?

  2 carbon atoms
• What does the prefix "Prop-" indicate in hydrocarbons?

  3 carbon atoms
• What does the prefix "But-" indicate in hydrocarbons?

  4 carbon atoms
• What does the prefix "Pent-" indicate in hydrocarbons?

  5 carbon atoms
• What does the prefix "Hex-" indicate in hydrocarbons?

  6 carbon atoms
• In what physical state does crude oil exist at room temperature?

  It is a liquid
• What is meant by the term "viscous" in relation to liquids?

  It refers to a liquid that is not flowing easily and is hard to pour
• What are some uses of crude oil in the petrochemical industry?

  It is used as feedstock for lubricants, fuels, and various products
• Why are fossil fuels considered non-renewable resources?

  They are being used up faster than they are being formed
• What is bitumen commonly used for?

  Road repairs and tar
• What is the process of fractional distillation of crude oil?

  • Separates different hydrocarbons based on boiling points
  • Crude oil is heated strongly in a tall metal fractionating column
  • Produces simpler, more useful mixtures
• Why is crude oil not useful as a fuel in its raw form?

  It is usually not runny enough or ignited easily
• What happens in the fractionating column during fractional distillation?

  Different hydrocarbons are separated due to their different boiling points
• What are the main products obtained from fractional distillation of crude oil?

  • Gasoline
  • Diesel
  • Kerosene
  • Heating oil
  • Lubricating oils
• What are the different physical states hydrocarbons can exist in?

  Solid, liquid, and gas
• What is the composition of crude oil?

  It is made up of solid and gas hydrocarbons mixed with liquid hydrocarbons
• What are alkanes?

  A type of hydrocarbon with single bonds
• What is octane?

  A hydrocarbon with eight carbon atoms
• How do boiling points vary among hydrocarbons?

  They vary based on the size and complexity of the molecules
• Why is crude oil considered a finite resource?

  Because it cannot be replenished quickly
• What is crude oil primarily composed of?

  A complex mixture of hydrocarbons, mostly alkanes
• What elements do hydrocarbons contain?

  Hydrogen and carbon atoms
• How are hydrocarbons used in the petrochemical industry?

  As a feedstock to create useful substances
• What is the effect of increasing chain length on viscosity of hydrocarbons?

  Viscosity increases
• How does the arrangement of carbon atoms in hydrocarbons affect their properties?

  It affects the physical properties of the hydrocarbons
• What happens to the boiling point of hydrocarbons as the chain length increases?

  The boiling point increases
• How does the ease of ignition change with longer hydrocarbon chains?

  Ease of ignition decreases
• What do longer-chain hydrocarbons contain more of?

  More carbon and hydrogen atoms
• What is complete combustion?

  A reaction that occurs when a fuel reacts with plenty of oxygen
• What is the general equation for the complete combustion of hydrocarbons?

  Hydrocarbon + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water
• What is a homologous series?

  A family of molecules with the same general formula and similar chemical properties
• How do the molecular formulas of neighboring compounds in a homologous series differ?

  By a CH₂ unit
• What is an example of a homologous series?

  Alkanes
• How do physical properties vary in a homologous series?

  They vary gradually with the length of the molecule