11.3.1

Fossil Fuels

Test yourself

Petroleum (Crude Oil) and Natural Gas

Fossil fuels are formed over millions of years because of the decay of buried dead organisms. Coal, natural gas and petroleum (crude oil) are all fossil fuels. 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.
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Natural gas

  • Natural gas is mostly made up of methane (CH4).

Jump to other topics

1States of Matter

2Atoms, Elements & Compounds

3Stoichometry

4Electrochemistry

5Chemical Energetics

6Chemical Reactions

7Acids, Bases & Salts

8The Periodic Table

9Metals

10Chemistry of the Environment

11Organic Chemistry

11.1Formulae, Functional Groups & Terminology

11.2Naming Organic Compounds

11.3Fuels

11.4Alkanes

11.5Alkenes

11.6Alcohols

11.7Carboxylic Acids

11.8Polymers

12Experimental Techniques & Chemical Analysis

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