KS1 (Age 5-7)KS2 (Age 7-11)11 Plus (Age 7-11)KS3 (Age 11-14)GCSE (Age 14-17)PSHE A.I.ESL Spanish Specialist Games

Need help with Crude Oil? Ask our AI Tutor!

AI Tutor - Lucy

Connecting with Tutor...

Please wait while we establish connection

Hi! I'm Lucy, your AI tutor. How can I help you with Crude Oil today?

now

Crude oil contains mainly saturated hydrocarbons called alkanes.

Crude Oil

Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons. This GCSE Chemistry quiz tests how it is refined into useful fuels and chemicals, and why different fractions separate.

Explore the Topic →

(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

Crude oil is separated by fractional distillation, which separates substances by their boiling points. This happens in a fractionating column with a temperature gradient.

In GCSE Chemistry, crude oil helps you connect hydrocarbons to real products. You learn why crude oil needs refining, how fractions have different properties, and how cracking increases supplies of smaller, more useful molecules.

Key Terms

Crude oil: A finite, unrefined mixture of hydrocarbons formed from ancient biomass and found in underground reservoirs.
Fraction: A group of hydrocarbons collected together because they have similar boiling points and similar molecule sizes.
Cracking: Breaking long-chain hydrocarbons into shorter alkanes and alkenes, often using heat and a catalyst.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is crude oil in GCSE Chemistry?

In GCSE Chemistry, crude oil is described as a mixture of many different hydrocarbons. It is a finite resource and must be refined to make fuels and other useful chemicals.

Why do different fractions of crude oil have different uses?

Different fractions have different chain lengths, which affects viscosity, flammability, and boiling point. Shorter chains tend to be runny and ignite easily, while longer chains are thicker and less flammable.

What is cracking and why is it done to crude oil fractions?

Cracking is done to break large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller ones. It is used because demand is higher for short-chain fuels and for alkenes, which are important starting materials for polymers and other chemicals.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Crude oil contains mainly saturated hydrocarbons called...

haloalkanes

alkenes

alkanes

cycloalkanes

A saturated hydrocarbon contains only single bonds

2 .

Which of these compounds catches fire most easily?

C₃H₈

C₈H₁₈

C₁₂H₂₆

C₁₆H₃₄

Alkanes with smaller molecules are far more volatile than large ones. It is the vapour from a flammable liquid that burns so the more volatile chemicals from crude oil are easier to ignite

3 .

Which of the following is the thickest liquid?

C₃H₈

C₈H₁₈

C₁₂H₂₆

C₁₆H₃₄

Viscosity of the alkanes increases as the molecule gets bigger

4 .

Fractional distillation uses which physical property to separate the substances in crude oil?

Melting point

Boiling point

Tensile strength

Freezing point

Crude oil is a mixture of hundreds of alkanes and each has a different boiling point

5 .

Which of these compounds is collected at the top of the fractionating column?

C₃H₈

C₈H₁₈

C₁₂H₂₆

C₁₆H₃₄

This is propane which is a gas at room temperature

6 .

Which of the following is a saturated hydrocarbon that could be found in diesel oil?

C₄H₁₀

C₁₆H₃₂

C₁₇H₃₆

C₁₈H₃₈O

Diesel cars give better fuel consumption figures than petrol cars because diesel fuel molecules are larger and therefore release more energy than petrol molecules which only have about 8 carbon atoms

7 .

Which of these compounds has the highest boiling point?

C₃H₈

C₈H₁₈

C₁₂H₂₆

C₁₆H₃₄

The more carbon atoms there are in an alkane, the larger the molecule and the higher the boiling point

8 .

Petrol...

has a higher boiling point than diesel oil

is a thinner liquid than diesel oil

ignites less easily than kerosene

has larger molecules than kerosene

It contains alkanes with fewer carbon atoms than diesel

9 .

Crude oil is fed into the fractionating column...

at high pressure

with a catalyst

as a vapour

with water

It is heated to a temperature in excess of 300^oC

10 .

Hydrocarbons with the smallest molecules have the...

lowest boiling points

lowest flammability

lowest volatility

highest viscosity

Smaller molecules have smaller inter-molecular forces to hold them together

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Crude oil, hydrocarbons and alkanes

Author: Kate Gardiner (Chemistry Educator & GCSE Quiz Writer)

**Unlimited Quizzes Await You! 🚀**

Hey there, quiz champ! 🌟 You've already tackled today's free questions.
Ready for more?

🔓 Unlock UNLIMITED Quizzes and challenge yourself every day. But that's
not all...

🔥 As a Subscriber you can join our thrilling "Daily Streak" against other
quizzers. Try to win a coveted spot on our Hall of Fame Page.

Don't miss out! Join us now and keep the fun rolling. 🎉

Subscribe & Play

**Unlimited Quizzes Await You! 🚀**

Hey there, quiz champ! 🌟 You've already tackled today's free questions. Ready for more?

🔓 Unlock UNLIMITED Quizzes and challenge yourself every day. But that's not all...

🔥 As a Subscriber you can join our thrilling "Daily Streak" against other quizzers. Try to win a coveted spot on our Hall of Fame Page.

Don't miss out! Join us now and keep the fun rolling. 🎉

Subscribe & Play

Leave Feedback