uses and cracking of crude oil

• crude oil provides the fuel for most modern transport
• what does cracking mean?

  the splitting up of long-chain hydrocarbons
• what does cracking produce?

  alkanes and alkenes
• cracking is a thermal decomposition reaction which means the breaking down of molecules by heating them
• cracking steps for catalytic cracking 1. The crude oil (long chain hydrocarbons) is heated in a reactor to a very high temperature to vaporise them. 2. the vapour is then passed over a catalyst . 3. the long chain molecules are split apart into smaller molecules.
• steps for steam cracking: 1. vaporising the hydrocarbons, mixing them with steam and then heat them to very high temperatures.
• what are the types of cracking?

  catalytic cracking and steam cracking