Organic Chemistry Flashcards
Name the three fossil fuels.
coal, natural gas and petroleum
What is the main constituent of natural gas?
methane
Define the term ‘hydrocarbon’.
Compounds containing hydrogen and carbon only
What process is used to separate petroleum into its fractions?
Fractional distillation
What is petroleum?
a mixture of hydrocarbons
What is a fraction?
a group of hydrocarbons with similar chain lengths
What are features of fractions obtained from petroleum at the top of the fractionating column?
- lower boiling points
- runny
- volatile
- smaller chain length
What are features of fractions obtained from petroleum at the bottom of the fractionating column?
- higher boiling points
- viscous
- low volatility
- bigger chain length
What is the order of the fractions, from the smallest chain to the largest?
refinery gas
gasoline
naphtha
paraffin
diesel oil
fuel oil
lubricating fraction
bitumen
What is the use of refinery gas?
heating and cooking
What is the use of gasoline?
fuel in cars
What is the use of naphtha?
chemical feedstock
What is the use of paraffin?
jet fuel
What is the use of diesel oil?
fuel used in diesel engines
What is the use of fuel oil?
fuel in ships and home heating systems
What is the use of lubricating oil?
for lubricants, waxes and polishes
What is the use of bitumen?
making roads
What is the general formula of alkanes?
CnH2n+2
What is the general formula of alkenes?
CnH2n
What is a functional group?
an atom or a group of atoms that determine the chemical properties of a homologous series
What is a structural formula?
an unambiguous description of the way atoms in a molecule are arranged