4.7 - Organic Chemistry Flashcards
(15 cards)
What is Crude Oil?
The remains of ancient biomasses consisting of mainly plankton that were buried in mud.
True or False:
Crude Oil is a compound.
False. Crude Oil is a mixture of many compounds, the majority being hydrocarbons.
What are hydrocarbons?
Molecules made of only
Carbon and Hydrogen.
What type of resource is Crude Oil?
Non-renewable, it is finite.
What is an alkane?
Hydrocarbons that only contain single covalent bonds. Known as saturated hydrocarbons.
What is the general formula for alkanes?
C(n)H(2n+2)
As the size of hydrocarbon molecules, what also increases?
- Boiling points
- Volatility (ability to vapourise)
- Viscosity
- Flammability
Boiling points and Viscosity.
As the size of hydrocarbon molecules, what decreases?
-Flammability
- Viscosity
- Boiling points
- Volatility (ability to vapourise)
Flammability and Volatility.
What does the complete combustion of hydrocarbons produce?
Carbon dioxide (CO(2)) and Water (H(2)O). It also releases energy.
How does fractional distillation work?
- Oil is preheated and pressed into a column.
- Some of the oil evaporates, and the vapour rises through the column.
- Some of the vapour condenses at set levels in the column and flows out of a separate pipe.
- Because the temperature decreases upwards, smaller hydrocarbons condense higher up.
What are some everyday fuels found in crude Oil?
- Fuel Gas (20°C)
- Petrol/Gasoline (40°C)
- Naptha (110°C)
- Kerosene (180°C)
- Diesel Oil (250°C)
- Fuel Oil (300°C)
- Lubricating Oil (340°C)
- Bitumen
What is Cracking?
The process of breaking down larger hydrocarbons into smaller (more useful) molecules.
How does Cracking work?
- Heat the Hydrocarbons to vapourise them.
- Then either pass them over a catalyst OR mix them with extremely hot steam.
Why do we need to Crack hydrocarbons?
- High demand for smaller molecules, which there are less of.
- Low demand for larger molecules, which there are more of.
