Earth Materials

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We ‘Share’ the Oil field with others in Europe, having a claim to the fields

Slide 18

Oil platforms in the North Sea are huge

They stand on tall legs anchored to the sea bed

Slide 19

Slide 20

Crude oil is a mixture of compounds.

The compounds are mainly made up of the Elements:

Carbon (C)

and

Hydrogen (H)

They are referred to as Hydrocarbons

Slide 21

The Chemical and Physical properties of Hydrocarbon Molecules in the mixture are unchanged by the fact that they are in a mixture:

This means that each compound in the mixture will boils at its own, unique, boiling point.

This helps us to separate the mixture

Slide 22

Since it is a mixture, crude Oil found in one location may be different to that found in another.

Slide 23

Hydrocarbons are made up of the elements Carbon and Hydrogen only

Carbon atoms have four electrons in their outer energy level which they use to form bonds with.

This means that they can make four covalent bonds with other things.

Slide 24

Covalent bonds are made by sharing electrons with other atoms

They can form bonds with Hydrogen atoms, by sharing electrons.

Slide 25

This diagram represents the hydrocarbon molecule Methane CH4. You will know it as Natural Gas

Structural formula

Slide 26

Carbon atoms can also form covalent bonds to other Carbon atoms, forming ‘Carbon chains’

This would represent a molecule of the Hydrocarbon Ethane,

formula C2H6

H

How would molecules of Propane C3H8 and Butane C4H10 be drawn?

Slide 27

Carbon atoms form the ‘Spine’ of Hydrocarbon molecules.

The Hydrocarbons in Crude Oil are made up of single bonds only. They are said to be Saturated Hydrocarbons, because there are no spare bonds for any more Hydrogen atoms.

We call this family of Hydrocarbons Alkanes, they have the General Formula: Cn H(2n+2). E.g. Pentane: C5H12

Slide 28

The number of carbon atoms in the Hydrocarbon molecules in Crude Oil varies from 1carbon to over 70 carbons atoms.