crude oil and fractional distillation

• What process is used to separate crude oil into its components?

  Fractional distillation
• What is crude oil primarily composed of?

  Hydrocarbons
• What are the most common hydrocarbons found in crude oil?

  Alkanes
• How is crude oil formed?

  From remains of dead plants and animals
• What type of organisms primarily contribute to the formation of crude oil?

  Plankton
• What conditions are necessary for the formation of crude oil?

  High pressures and temperatures
• Why is crude oil considered a finite resource?

  It takes millions of years to form
• What term is used to describe fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas?

  Non-renewable fuels
• What is the first step in the fractional distillation of crude oil?

  Feed the oil into a chamber and heat it
• What happens to the gaseous mixture in the fractionating column?

  It rises and condenses at lower temperatures
• Which hydrocarbons condense first in the fractional distillation process?

  Long-chain hydrocarbons
• What is bitumen used for?

  Surfacing roads
• What type of hydrocarbons are used in cars and road vehicles?

  Diesel and petrol
• What is LPG primarily composed of?

  Propane and butane
• How do the flammability characteristics of hydrocarbons vary with chain length?

  Shorter chains are more flammable
• What is the purpose of cracking in relation to hydrocarbons?

  To break down longer hydrocarbons into smaller ones
• What are petrochemicals used for?

  Making solvents, lubricants, and polymers
• What are the steps involved in fractional distillation of crude oil?

  1. Heat crude oil until it vaporizes
  2. Pass vapor into a fractionating column
  3. Gases rise and cool, condensing at different heights
  4. Collect liquids based on boiling points
• What are the characteristics of different hydrocarbon fractions obtained from crude oil?

  • Short-chain hydrocarbons:
  • High flammability
  • Used as fuels (e.g., petrol, diesel)
  • Long-chain hydrocarbons:
  • Low flammability
  • Used for other purposes or cracked
• What are the main uses of petrochemicals derived from crude oil?

  • Solvents
  • Lubricants
  • Polymers
  • Detergents