Crude Oil
Contents
Key Stage 3
Meaning
Crude Oil is a Fossil Fuel formed from the remains of dead sea creatures trapped in the sediment at the bottom of the sea.
About Crude Oil
- Crude Oil is a non-renewable energy resource.
- Crude Oil has energy in its chemical potential energy store which can be transferred into a thermal energy store by combustion.
Key Stage 4
Meaning
Crude oil is a mixture of different hydrocarbons, mostly alkanes, formed in an anoxic environment over millions of years from the remains of dead sea creatures trapped in the sediment at the bottom of the sea.
About Crude Oil
- Crude oil is known as a Fossil Fuel.
- Crude oil is a non-renewable energy resource so once it is used it cannot be replaced within our lifetime.
- Modern technology relies heavily on crude oil as both a fuel and a feedstock for producing plastics.
Crude oil can be separated by fractional distillation into different 'fractions' which have different applications:
| Fraction | Carbon Chain Length | Boiling Point (°C) | Application |
| Natural Gas | 1-2 | -160 to -89 | Fuel for heating homes and gas power stations. |
| LPG | 3-4 | -42 to -1 | Fuel for heating homes and gas power stations. |
| Petrol (Gasoline) | 5-10 | 20 to 200 | Fuel for cars and feedstock for plastic manufacture. |
| Kerosine | 10-16 | 180 to 260 | Fuel for Planes. |
| Diesel | 14-20 | 260 to 340 | Fuel for cars, trucks and trains. |
| Lubricating Oil | 20-50 | 370 to 600 | Lubrication for machines. |
| Bitumen | 70+ | Not distilled. | Tar for roads. |
 |
| A diagram showing a fractional distillation tower. |
| Fraction | Natural Gas | LPG | Petrol | Kerosene | Diesel | Lubricating Oil | Bitumen |
| Carbon Chain Length | 1-2 | 3-4 | 5-10 | 10-16 | 14-20 | 20-50 | 70+ |
| Boiling Point |  | ||||||
| Viscosity |  | ||||||
| Flammability |  | ||||||
| Volatility |  | ||||||
References
AQA
- Crude oil, pages 142-3, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 2, Hodder, AQA
- Crude oil, pages 147-149, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Crude oil, pages 148-157, 196, GCSE Chemistry; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
- Crude oil, pages 171-2, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA
- Crude oil, pages 19, 226-33, 246, 337, GCSE Chemistry; Student Book, Collins, AQA
- Crude oil, pages 191-195, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Chemistry, CGP, AQA
- Crude oil, pages 223-227, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, AQA
- Crude oil, pages 76, 77, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Crude oil; formation, page 300, GCSE Chemistry; Student Book, Collins, AQA
- Crude oil; Fractional distillation of, pages 144-5, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 2, Hodder, AQA
- Crude oil; fractional distillation of, pages 173-4, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA
Edexcel
- Crude oil, page 150, GCSE Chemistry, Pearson, Edexcel
- Crude oil, page 264, GCSE Combined Science, Pearson Edexcel
- Crude oil, pages 137, 138, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
- Crude oil, pages 253, 254, 256, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, Edexcel
- Crude oil, pages 87, 88, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
- Crude oil; fractional distillation, pages 152-153, GCSE Chemistry, Pearson, Edexcel
- Crude oil; fractional distillation, pages 266-267, GCSE Combined Science, Pearson Edexcel