C9 Flashcards
what is crude oil made up of
mixture of many different hydrocarbon compounds, that are not chemically bound together
how is crude oil formed
formed over long periods of time when animals decomposed with no oxygen
what is a homologous series
group of chemicals with the same chemical properties, but a change in chemical properties (e.g density) as the size changes
why is oil important to society?
it can be used to fuel cars, heat homes and generate electricity
why can crude oil be separated using fractional distillation?
it’s elements are not chemically bound together
why is crude oil not very useful as a product by itself?
it is initially part of a mixture of many compounds and has to be separated and purified to reach its sole oil form to be used
general formula for alkane molecule
CnH(2n+2)
why are alkanes described as saturated hydrocarbons?
they have the maximum number of single bonds around each carbon atom
what is a saturated hydrocarbon
hydrocarbons with only carbon-to-carbon single bonds (C-C)
what is volatility
the tendency to turn into a gas
what is viscosity
how easily a substance flows
what is flammability
how easily it burns
effects of large hydrocarbon
high boiling point
low volatility
high viscosity (thick)
low flammability (smoky flame)
what is fractional distillation?
separating crude oil into hydrocarbons with similar boiling points (fractions)
steps involved in fractional distillation of crude oil
- oil is heated (450°C) and pumped into a fractioning column to vaporise
- as the vaporised oil rises, it cools and condenses
- heavy fractions (large molecules) have a high boiling point and condense near the bottom of the column
- light fractions (small molecules) have a low boiling point and condense further up the collumn
