crude oil, hydrocarbons and alkanes

Question 1

what is crude oil?

Answer 1

it is the remains of ancient biomass consisting mainly of plankton that was once buried in mud; it is a finite resource found in rocks

Question 2

what is crude oil a mixture of?

Answer 2

hydrocarbon compounds

Question 3

what are hydrocarbons?

Answer 3

molecules made up of only carbon and hydrogen atoms

Question 4

what are most hydrocarbons in crude oil?

Answer 4

alkanes

Question 5

what are alkanes?

Answer 5

homologous series with the formula CnH2n+2

Question 6

Alkane molecules are _______; they have ______ bonds between the _______ atoms

Answer 6

saturated, single, carbon

Question 7

what are the first 4 members of the alkane series?

Answer 7

methane, ethane, propane, butane

Question 8

what happens during combustion?

Answer 8

energy is released and carbon dioxide and water is produced as the carbon and hydrogen atoms in the molecules are oxidised

Question 9

what happens to the properties of hydrocarbon molecules as they get larger?

Answer 9

they become more viscous, less flammable and have higher boiling points.