Crude Oil and Fractional Distillation Flashcards

1️⃣ Familiarise yourself with the flashcards:

  • Look through all the flashcards to see what's on both sides.
  • Make sure you understand the information on each card. If something's unclear, click the link to the revision notes at the bottom of the page for more details.

2️⃣ Test yourself:

  • Look at the question or prompt on each card and try to remember the answer before flipping it over.
  • Check the answer and make a note of any cards you find challenging and need to go over more.

3️⃣ Consistently Review and Practice:

  • Use spaced repetition: spend more time on the cards you struggle with and go over them more often.
  • Regularly review all the flashcards to help you better understand and retain the information over time.

Note: We may include questions that have multiple correct answers. It's useful to remember specific examples to understand these concepts better.

PERSONALISED 1-TO-1 TUTORING

Need more help on this topic? Get 1-to-1 support

Get support with clear explanations, practice and feedback (Ages 5 to 16).

  • DBS-checked tutors
  • Flexible times
  • Parents can be updated

Want an ad-free experience? Subscribe to remove ads

What is crude oil?

Crude oil is a thick, dark liquid that is a mixture of many different hydrocarbons.

Where is crude oil found?

Crude oil is found trapped in rocks under the ground and under the sea.

What is a hydrocarbon?

A hydrocarbon is a compound made only from hydrogen and carbon atoms.

What type of hydrocarbons are mainly found in crude oil?

Most hydrocarbons in crude oil are alkanes with the general formula CnH2n+2.

Why is crude oil called a mixture and not a pure substance?

Crude oil is a mixture because it contains many different hydrocarbons that are not chemically joined together.

What is meant by a fraction of crude oil?

A fraction is a group of hydrocarbons from crude oil that have similar boiling points.

What property of hydrocarbons allows fractional distillation to separate them?

Fractional distillation works because different hydrocarbons have different boiling points.

Why is the fractional distillation column hotter at the bottom and cooler at the top?

It is hotter at the bottom to boil the crude oil, and cooler at the top so vapours can condense at different heights.

What happens to crude oil before it enters the fractional distillation column?

The crude oil is heated so that most of it boils and turns into a mixture of vapours.

Where do short-chain hydrocarbons condense in the fractional distillation column, and why?

Short-chain hydrocarbons condense near the top of the column because they have low boiling points and can stay as vapour until they reach the cooler upper parts.