Crude oil is the main source of the fuels and of many of the materials that modern life depends on. A refinery takes in crude oil and sends out petrol, which is in high demand, and poly(ethene).
Explain how crude oil is processed to produce fuels with small molecules and the alkenes used to make polymers. In your answer you should refer to both fractional distillation and cracking.
40 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Chemistry 7.1 Carbon compounds as fuels and feedstock, covering 7.1.1 Crude oil, hydrocarbons and alkanes, 7.1.2 Fractional distillation and petrochemicals, 7.1.3 Properties of hydrocarbons, and 7.1.4 Cracking and alkenes. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.