Question 7
Petroleum is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 7 - 2006 - Paper 1
Question 7
Question 7
Petroleum is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons are mainly alkanes of various carbon chain lengths.
a. Write the name and molecular for... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Question 7
Petroleum is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 7 - 2006 - Paper 1
Step 1
Write the name and molecular formula of an alkane which has nine carbon atoms.
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Answer
The alkane with nine carbon atoms is called Nonane.
Its molecular formula is C₉H₂₀.
Step 2
Alkanes with short carbon chains boil at lower temperatures than long chain alkanes. Explain, in terms of bonding, why this is so.
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Answer
Short-chain alkanes have weaker induced dipole-dipole interactions (dispersion forces) compared to long-chain alkanes. This is due to their smaller surface area, which results in fewer points of contact between the molecules, leading to lower boiling points.
Step 3
Briefly describe the fractional distillation process that is used for refining petroleum. You may use a fully labelled sketch to answer this question.
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Answer
Fractional distillation involves heating crude oil to create vapor, which is then cooled in a distillation column. As the vapor rises, it cools and condenses at different heights based on boiling points. Lighter fractions condense at higher points while heavier fractions condense lower down, allowing for the separation of various hydrocarbons.
Step 4
When the gas propane (C3H8) is cracked, several different products can be obtained. Write the formulas for four likely products of this process.
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Answer
Ethene (C₂H₄)
Propene (C₃H₆)
Butane (C₄H₁₀)
Butene (C₄H₈)
Step 5
Ethene is an example of an unsaturated hydrocarbon. Write equations for two chemical reactions in which ethene acts as a reactant.
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