crude oil, hydrocarbons & alkanes

• what is crude oil?

  • finite resource found in rocks - remains of ancient biomass
  • mixture of compounds - most being hydrocarbons
• what is a hydrocarbon?

  compound made up of exclusively hydrogen & carbon atoms
• what is a homologous series?

  series of compounds w the same general formula, same functional groups & similar chemical properties
• first 4 members of alkanes?

  • methane
  • ethane
  • propane
  • butane
• general formula for alkanes?

  CnH2n+2
• formula for methane

  CH4
• formula for ethane

  C2H6
• formula for propane

  C3H8
• formula for butane

  C4H10