Crude oil and hydrocarbons
A compound that contains hydrogen and carbon only. are A substance formed by the chemical union of two or more elements. that contain hydrogen and carbon The smallest part of an element that can exist. only.
Crude oil
Mixture of hydrocarbons, mainly alkanes, formed over millions of years from the remains of ancient dead marine organisms. is a Something that has a limited number of uses before it is depleted. For example, oil is a finite resource. resource that is found in the Earth’s crust. It is the remains of Living entity, eg animals, plants or microorganisms. that lived and died millions of years ago - mainly plankton which was buried in mud.
Crude oil is a complex Two or more substances that are not joined together. The substances can be elements, compounds, or both. of hydrocarbons. The carbon atoms in these molecules are joined together in chains and rings. In the ball and stick models below, carbon atoms are black and hydrogen atoms are white.
Crude oil is an important source of:
- Material that is used to produce heat, like coal, oil or gas. such as petrol, diesel, kerosene, heavy fuel oil and liquefied petroleum gases
- A raw material used to provide reactants for an industrial reaction. for the Substance made from crude oil using chemical reactions. industry
A feedstock is a raw material used to provide reactants for an industrial reaction. A petrochemical is a substance made from crude oil using chemical reactions. For example, ethene is produced from crude oil. It is used as feedstock to make poly(ethene), a A large molecule formed from many identical smaller molecules known as monomers..
Other useful substances made from compounds found in crude oil include:
- The liquid in which the solute dissolves to form a solution.
- A lubricant is anything which reduces the friction between two surfaces.
- A mixture of chemicals which have cleaning properties when dissolved in water, and are able to dissolve grease.