Carbon compounds as fuels and feedstock key terms

finite resource

A natural resource that is limited in quantity and will eventually be depleted

crude oil

A naturally occurring, viscous liquid found in underground rock formations, composed mainly of hydrocarbons

Crude oil

A finite resource found in rocks, consisting mainly of the remains of ancient biomass, primarily plankton, buried in mud.

Biomass

Organic material derived from living or recently living organisms, which in the case of crude oil, mainly consists of plankton.

Crude oil

A finite resource found in rocks, consisting of a mixture of a very large number of compounds.

Hydrocarbon

A compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon atoms, commonly found in crude oil.

Hydrocarbon

A compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon atoms, commonly found in crude oil.

Crude Oil

A finite resource found in rocks, composed of a mixture of many different hydrocarbons.

alkanes

Hydrocarbons that consist only of single bonds and follow the general formula CnH2n+2.

crude oil

A finite resource found in rocks, consisting of a mixture of a very large number of compounds, primarily hydrocarbons.

Alkane

A saturated hydrocarbon with the general formula CnH2n+2.

Homologous series

A group of organic compounds with the same functional group and similar chemical properties, differing by a CH2 unit.

Alkane

A saturated hydrocarbon with the general formula CnH2n+2, consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms.

Methane

The simplest alkane with the molecular formula CH4, consisting of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms.

Alkane

A saturated hydrocarbon with the general formula CnH2n+2, consisting only of single bonds between carbon atoms.

Molecular Formula

A representation of a chemical compound that shows the number and type of atoms present in a molecule.

Alkane

A saturated hydrocarbon with the general formula CnH2n+2, consisting only of single C–C and C–H bonds.

Molecular Formula

A concise representation of the number and type of atoms in a molecule, written as a chemical formula such as C4H10 for butane.

Alkane

A saturated hydrocarbon with the general formula CnH2n+2, consisting only of single bonds.

Molecular modelling kits

Tools used to create three-dimensional models of molecules, helping to visualize the structure of alkane molecules.

Fractional Distillation

A process used to separate a mixture into its component fractions based on different boiling points.

Hydrocarbon Fraction

A specific group of hydrocarbons that have a similar number of carbon atoms, separated during fractional distillation.

Fraction

A fraction is a portion of crude oil that contains molecules with a similar number of carbon atoms.

Hydrocarbon

A hydrocarbon is a compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon atoms, commonly found in crude oil.

Fraction

A distinct component of a mixture, containing molecules with a similar number of carbon atoms, separated during fractional distillation.

Feedstock

Raw materials used in the petrochemical industry to produce fuels and other chemical products.

Petrol

A liquid fuel derived from the middle fractions of crude oil, used primarily in spark‑ignition internal combustion engines.

Diesel oil

A heavier liquid fuel obtained from the lower fractions of crude oil, used in compression‑ignition engines.

petrochemical

A chemical product derived from petroleum, used in the production of various materials.

polymer

A large molecule composed of repeating structural units, typically connected by covalent chemical bonds.

family of compounds

A group of related molecules that share a common structural feature or functional group, such as alkanes or alkenes, which arise from carbon atoms arranging in similar patterns.

homologous series

A sequence of organic compounds where each successive member differs by a constant unit (CH₂), leading to systematic changes in properties across the series.

Fractional distillation

A process used to separate a mixture into its component fractions based on differences in boiling points.

Evaporation

The process by which molecules in a liquid gain enough energy to enter the gaseous state.

boiling point

The temperature at which a liquid turns into vapor.

viscosity

A measure of a fluid's resistance to flow.

boiling point

The temperature at which a liquid turns into vapor, which increases with the size of hydrocarbon molecules.

molecular size

The size of a molecule, which affects properties such as boiling point, viscosity, and flammability in hydrocarbons.

Viscosity

A measure of a fluid's resistance to flow, which increases with larger hydrocarbon molecule size.

Molecular size

The size of a molecule, which affects properties such as viscosity in hydrocarbons.

Flammability

The ability of a substance to burn when exposed to a flame or spark.

Molecular size

The number of carbon atoms in a hydrocarbon molecule, which influences its physical properties.

combustion

The chemical reaction where hydrocarbons react with oxygen to release energy.

hydrocarbon

A compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon atoms.

oxidation

A chemical reaction where a substance loses electrons, often involving the reaction of a substance with oxygen.

combustion

A chemical process in which a hydrocarbon reacts with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy.

complete combustion

The reaction of a hydrocarbon with oxygen that produces carbon dioxide and water.

carbon dioxide

A colorless gas produced during the complete combustion of hydrocarbons, represented by the formula CO2.

complete combustion

A chemical reaction where a hydrocarbon reacts with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water.

balanced equation

An equation that has the same number of atoms of each element on both sides, representing the conservation of mass.

hydrocarbon

A compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon atoms.

combustion

A chemical reaction that occurs when a hydrocarbon reacts with oxygen, producing energy, carbon dioxide, and water.

Cracking

The process of breaking down larger hydrocarbon molecules into smaller, more useful molecules.

Alkenes

Unsaturated hydrocarbons that contain at least one carbon-carbon double bond, making them more reactive than alkanes.

Catalytic cracking

A method of breaking down large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller, more useful molecules using a catalyst.

Steam cracking

A method of cracking hydrocarbons by heating them with steam to produce smaller molecules.

Catalytic cracking

A method of breaking down large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller, more useful molecules using a catalyst.

Steam cracking

A process that uses high temperatures and steam to break down large hydrocarbons into smaller molecules.

Alkane

A saturated hydrocarbon with only single C–C bonds and the general formula CnH2n+2.

Alkene

An unsaturated hydrocarbon containing at least one C=C double bond, making it more reactive than alkanes.

Alkene

A type of hydrocarbon that contains at least one carbon-carbon double bond, making it more reactive than alkanes.

Bromine water test

A chemical test used to identify alkenes, where the addition of bromine water results in a color change from brown to colorless.

alkene

A hydrocarbon that contains at least one carbon-carbon double bond.

bromine water

A solution of bromine in water used as a test for the presence of alkenes, which decolorizes when reacted.

Cracking

The process of breaking down larger hydrocarbon molecules into smaller, more useful molecules.

Alkenes

Unsaturated hydrocarbons that contain at least one carbon-carbon double bond, making them more reactive than alkanes.

Alkene

A type of hydrocarbon that contains at least one carbon-carbon double bond and is more reactive than alkanes.

Polymer

A large molecule made up of repeating structural units (monomers), often produced from alkenes.

Cracking

The process of breaking down larger hydrocarbon molecules into smaller, more useful molecules.

Balanced Equation

An equation that shows the same number of each type of atom on both sides, representing the conservation of mass in a chemical reaction.

Cracking

A process used to break down larger hydrocarbon molecules into smaller, more useful molecules.

Hydrocarbons

Compounds consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon, commonly found in crude oil.