Fractional Distillation

• Crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons
• Crude oil is a finite resource
• Crude oil is formed from the remains of dead plants and animal, particularly plankton
• Crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons with different boiling points
• Long chain hydrocarbons condense at the bottom of the fractionating column due to their high boiling points
• Short chain hydrocarbons condense at the top of the fractionating column because they have low boiling points
• Bitumen forms at the bottom of the fractionating column
• Kerosene, Petrol and Diesel are all used as fuels
• The bottom of the fractionating column is cooler than the top