The Crude Oil Refinery
Crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons that fuels the modern world. Separate it into fractions, crack the big molecules, sort the pollutants of combustion, and see how the Earth's atmosphere and climate are changing.
Revise this, the fun way
Play it interactively, earn XP and build a streak, free.
Start revising freeWhat you'll cover
From crude oil to fuels ⛽
Crude oil is a **mixture** of **hydrocarbons**, molecules made only of hydrogen and carbon, formed over millions of years from the remains of ancient sea creatures. On its own it is not much use. At an oil **refinery** it is separated and processed into the fuels and raw materials we rely on every day.
The language of oil 🔑
Four ideas run through this topic:
Up the column 🏭
An interactive activity.
How fractional distillation works 🔥
Crude oil is **heated** until most of it **evaporates**, then fed into a tall **fractionating column** that is hot at the bottom and cooler towards the top. As the vapours rise, each **fraction condenses** when it reaches its own boiling point. **Short** molecules have **low** boiling points and condense near the top; **long** molecules have **high** boiling points and condense near the bottom.
What separates the fractions? 🎯
In fractional distillation, what property is used to separate the fractions?
- Their boiling point, which depends on molecule size
- Their colour
- Their smell
- How magnetic they are
Oil and cracking 🧩
Crude oil is a _____ of hydrocarbons, separated by fractional distillation according to their _____ point. There is more demand for short-chain fuels than the column provides, so long molecules are broken down by _____. This makes shorter alkanes and useful _____, which are _____ because they contain a carbon-carbon double bond.
Two kinds of burning ⚖️
When a hydrocarbon fuel burns, how completely it burns depends on the oxygen supply.
Incomplete combustion ✅
Select the TWO substances made by INCOMPLETE combustion that complete combustion does NOT make.
- Carbon monoxide
- Carbon, as soot or particulates
- Carbon dioxide
- Water
Pollutant and problem 🧪
- Sulfur dioxide
- Carbon monoxide
- Particulates
- Carbon dioxide
- Causes acid rain, which damages trees, lakes and buildings
- A toxic gas that stops the blood from carrying oxygen
- Tiny soot particles linked to global dimming and breathing problems
- A greenhouse gas that adds to climate change
The greenhouse effect 🌡️
Some gases in the atmosphere trap heat. The **Sun** sends mostly **short-wavelength** radiation, which passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed by the Earth. The warmed Earth re-emits energy as longer-wavelength **infrared**. **Greenhouse gases**, such as **carbon dioxide**, **methane** and **water vapour**, absorb this infrared and re-radiate some of it back to the surface, keeping the Earth warm. Adding more greenhouse gas traps more heat, driving **climate change**.
Trapping the heat ☀️
How do greenhouse gases keep the Earth warm?
- They absorb infrared from the Earth and re-radiate some of it back
- They stop sunlight from ever reaching the ground
- They cool the Earth by reflecting all heat into space
- They turn carbon dioxide into oxygen
Earth's changing air 🖍️
An interactive activity.
How the air evolved 🌍
An interactive activity.
Explain the greenhouse effect ✍️
An interactive activity.