Organic Chemistry

Question 1

What is crude oil?

Answer 1

A fossil fuel formed by ancient, dead plankton bueried in mud.

Question 2

What is the chemical makeup of crude oil?

Answer 2

A mixture of chains and rings of hydrocarbons of varying length

Question 3

What is a fraction?

Answer 3

A portion of crude oil where the hydrocarbon chains have a similar number of carbon atoms

Question 4

Name the usages of
- Bitumen
- Propane
- Kerosene

Answer 4

• Bitumen
  surfacing roads and roofs
• Propane
  home and water heating
• Kerosene
  aircraft fuel

Question 5

What is the homologous series?

Answer 5

A family of hydrocarbons with the same general formula and therefore similar chemical properties, but varied physical properties (e.g, boiling points)

Question 6

What are the most important properties of hydrocarbons, and how is this affected by it’s size?

Answer 6

Viscocity
longer chains are thicker and are more resistant to flow, like honey
Flammability
longer chains are less flammable and do not ignite as clean
Boiling Point
longer chains have higher boiling points

(flip it around/do the inverse for properties of shorter chains)

Question 7

What is cracking, the two types, and why is it useful?

Answer 7

Cracking is the process of breaking down longer hydrocarbon chains into smaller-chain molecules. A large portion of crude oil consists of very long chain lengths of hydrocarbons, which shorter chains are more useful in industries (e.g, propane). It breaks them down into alkenes and alkanes. This occurs through thermal decomposition and can be done in two ways:
1. Steam cracking
- vaporised, heavy hydrocarbons are exposed to steam in a high temperature environment that breaks them down into smaller chains
2. Catalytic cracking
- vaporised, heavy hydrocarbon chains are exposed to a heated catalyst which breaks them down into smaller chains

Question 8

What is an alkane?
What is the general formula?
What are the first 5 alkanes?

Answer 8

• Alkanes are a homologous series of hydrocarbons with similar chemical properties.
• They are saturated hydrocarbons, which means they are joined together by a single carbon bond.
• The general formula is CₙH₂ₙ₊₂
• Methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane

Question 9

What is an isomer?

Answer 9

A chemical with the same molecular formula but a different atom arrangement.

Question 10

What is an alkene?
What is the general formula?
What are the first 5 alkenes?

Answer 10

• A homologous series of hydrocarbons with similar chemcial properties
• Unsaturated so contain double carbon bonds
• The general formula is CₙH₂ₙ
• Ethene, propene, butene, pentene, hexene

Question 11

Are alkenes or alkenes more reactive?

Answer 11

Alkenes are more reactive due to the presence of a carbon-carbon double bond.

Question 12

What is an alchohol?
What are the first 5 alchohols?

Answer 12

• A homologous series with the OH functional group
• methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, pentanol

Question 13

What is a carboxylic acid?
What are the first 5 carboxylic acids?

Answer 13

• A homolohous series with the COOH functional group
• Methnoic acid, ethanoic acid, propanoic acid, butanoic acid, pentanoic acid.

Question 14

What are the products of a reaction between a carbonate and a carboxylic acid?

Answer 14

carbonate + carboxylic acid —> salt + carbon dioxide + water

Question 15

What are the products of a reaction between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid?

Answer 15

alcohol + carboxylic acid —> ester + water

(required a catalyst, and is reversible)