Lesson 1 of 6 · Organic Chem
Lesson⭐ 30 XPCrude Oil and Fractional Distillation
Organic Chem.
🎯 Your mission
Understand the idea. Then look for it everywhere.
⚡ The twist
Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.
Mind = Blown
🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.
What You'll Learn
Crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons separated by fractional distillation. Longer chains have stronger intermolecular forces, so they boil higher and condense lower in the column. Bitumen leaves at the bottom, refinery gases at the top.
Key Words
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Steps
Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.
Label a fractionating column diagram with six fractions in the correct order, giving a use and an approximate boiling range for each. Then explain the trend in viscosity and flammability down the column.
Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.
Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 2Fractions collected near the top of the column have:
Where you see this in real life
This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.
For the dinner table
“What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”
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Crude Oil and Fractional Distillation
Understand the idea. Then look for it everywhere.
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