Science: Section 2

Crude Oil

Crude oil is a black sticky substance. Hidden in it are many different substances that have essential everyday uses.

Crude Oil

Petrol, diesel, tar and many other substances that play very important roles in our everyday lives are found in crude oil.

These substances are known as hydrocarbons:-

Combustion

Fractional Distillation

Fractional distillation is used to separate crude oil into fractions. A fraction is a group of hydrocarbons all with boiling points within a specific range.

Because each fraction has its own boiling point, when the crude oil is heated each fraction will boil at different temperatures and leave the crude oil mixture as a gas. This allows them to be separated and collected.

This is done in a fractionating column...

Fractionating Column

Fractional Distillation

As you go up the fractionating column, the hydrocarbon molecules get smaller and have:

  • lower boiling points
  • lower viscosity (they flow more easily)
  • higher flammability (they ignite more easily)

Distillation of Crude Oil Experiment

Science: Section 2

Crude Oil

Continue to Section 3.
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