Crude Oil

• Crude oil is a finite resource that will one day run out
• How crude oil is formed

  Remains of tiny sea creatures called plankton were buried in mud over millions of years
• Hydrocarbon


  Molecules made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms only
• Hydrocarbons found in crude oil


  • Methane
  • Ethane
• Alkanes


  Hydrocarbons that have the general formula CnH2n+2
• The key feature of alkanes is that they have the general formula CnH2n+2
• Using the general formula CnH2n+2 to determine the number of hydrogen atoms

  Multiply the number of carbon atoms (n) by 2, then add 2
• Alkanes are saturated molecules because the carbon atoms are fully bonded to hydrogen atoms
• Crude oil is used to produce plastics, petrol, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics
• Piped doesn't work properly without JavaScript enabled
• Please enable JavaScript to continue