7.1.1

Crude Oil

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Crude Oil

Crude oil is a non-renewable (finite) resource.

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Fossilised plankton

  • Crude oil is made from the fossilised remnants of ancient plankton.
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Found in rocks

  • Crude oil is found in rocks and is used to produce fuels and other important chemicals.
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Mixture of compounds

  • Crude oil is a mixture of lots of different compounds that are not chemically combined.
  • Most of the compounds in crude oil are hydrocarbons.
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Most compounds are hydrocarbons

  • Hydrocarbons are molecules made up of only hydrogen and carbon atoms.
  • Hydrocarbons differ in their size, which can change the properties of the hydrocarbon.

Properties of Hydrocarbons

A hydrocarbon's size affects its properties. A hydrocarbon's properties affect how useful it is as a fuel. The most important properties are:

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Boiling point

  • Hydrocarbons with longer chains have higher boiling points.
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Viscosity

  • Hydrocarbons with longer chains have higher viscosity (i.e. they are thicker and flow less easily).
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Flammability

  • Hydrocarbons with longer chains are less flammable.

Jump to other topics

1Atomic Structure

2Chemical Bonding

3Quantitative Chemistry

4Chemical Changes

5Energy Changes

6The Rate & Extent of Chemical Change

7Organic Chemistry

8Chemical Analysis

9Chemistry of the Atmosphere

10Using Resources

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