Crude Oil and Fractional Distillation

• What type of hydrocarbons are most common in crude oil?

  Alkanes
• How is crude oil formed?

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

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

  High pressures and temperatures
• What term describes fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas?

  Non-renewable fuels
• What process is used to separate hydrocarbons in crude oil?

  Fractional distillation
• What is the first step in fractional distillation of crude oil?

  Heat the oil until it turns to gas
• What happens to the gaseous mixture in the fractionating column?

  It rises and condenses at lower temperatures
• Which hydrocarbons condense first in the fractionating column?

  Long-chain hydrocarbons
• What type of hydrocarbons are used in cars?

  Short-chain hydrocarbons like petrol
• What are the main components of LPG?

  Propane and butane
• How do the flammability and chain length of hydrocarbons relate?

  Shorter chains are more flammable
• What are petrochemicals and their uses?

  • Substances derived from crude oil
  • Used as feedstock for:
  • Solvents
  • Lubricants
  • Polymers
  • Detergents