AQA GCSE Chemistry - C7 - Organic Chemistry
1. What is a hydrocarbon?
Answer: A hydrocarbon is a compound that contains only hydrogen and carbon atoms.
2. What is the simplest type of hydrocarbon?
Answer: Alkanes are the simplest type of hydrocarbon, characterized by having single bonds between
carbon atoms.
3. What is the general formula for alkanes?
Answer: The general formula for alkanes is C(n)H(2n+2).
4. List some common alkanes:
Answer: Methane (CH4), Ethane (C2H6), Propane (C3H8), Butane (C4H10), Pentane (C5H12), Hexane
(C6H14), Heptane (C7H16), Octane (C8H18), Nonane (C9H20), Decane (C10H22).
5. What is the complete combustion equation for hydrocarbons?
Answer: The complete combustion equation for hydrocarbons is Hydrocarbon + Oxygen → Carbon
dioxide + Water.
6. What are some common properties of hydrocarbons?
Answer: Shorter-length hydrocarbons are more runny, more volatile, and more flammable, with lower
boiling points.
7. How are different-sized hydrocarbons separated from crude oil?
, Answer: Fractional distillation is the process of separating different-sized hydrocarbons from crude oil.
8. What is crude oil?
Answer: Crude oil is a fossil fuel formed from the remains of plants and animals, mainly plankton, that
died millions of years ago and were buried in the mud at the bottom of the ocean.
9. How does fractional distillation work?
Answer: Fractional distillation involves heating oil until it turns to gas, then passing it through a column
where longer hydrocarbons liquidize early and drain out near the bottom, while shorter hydrocarbons
liquidize later and drain out near the top.
10. What are some common uses of crude oil?
Answer: Crude oil is used as fuel for most modes of transport and in the petrochemical industry.
11. What is cracking?
Answer: Cracking is the process of splitting up long-chain hydrocarbons into shorter chains.
12. How does cracking work?
Answer: Cracking involves heating long-chained hydrocarbons to vaporize them, then passing them over
a hot aluminum oxide catalyst to split the molecules apart, followed by mixing with steam and heating
to a high temperature.
13. What are alkenes?
1. What is a hydrocarbon?
Answer: A hydrocarbon is a compound that contains only hydrogen and carbon atoms.
2. What is the simplest type of hydrocarbon?
Answer: Alkanes are the simplest type of hydrocarbon, characterized by having single bonds between
carbon atoms.
3. What is the general formula for alkanes?
Answer: The general formula for alkanes is C(n)H(2n+2).
4. List some common alkanes:
Answer: Methane (CH4), Ethane (C2H6), Propane (C3H8), Butane (C4H10), Pentane (C5H12), Hexane
(C6H14), Heptane (C7H16), Octane (C8H18), Nonane (C9H20), Decane (C10H22).
5. What is the complete combustion equation for hydrocarbons?
Answer: The complete combustion equation for hydrocarbons is Hydrocarbon + Oxygen → Carbon
dioxide + Water.
6. What are some common properties of hydrocarbons?
Answer: Shorter-length hydrocarbons are more runny, more volatile, and more flammable, with lower
boiling points.
7. How are different-sized hydrocarbons separated from crude oil?
, Answer: Fractional distillation is the process of separating different-sized hydrocarbons from crude oil.
8. What is crude oil?
Answer: Crude oil is a fossil fuel formed from the remains of plants and animals, mainly plankton, that
died millions of years ago and were buried in the mud at the bottom of the ocean.
9. How does fractional distillation work?
Answer: Fractional distillation involves heating oil until it turns to gas, then passing it through a column
where longer hydrocarbons liquidize early and drain out near the bottom, while shorter hydrocarbons
liquidize later and drain out near the top.
10. What are some common uses of crude oil?
Answer: Crude oil is used as fuel for most modes of transport and in the petrochemical industry.
11. What is cracking?
Answer: Cracking is the process of splitting up long-chain hydrocarbons into shorter chains.
12. How does cracking work?
Answer: Cracking involves heating long-chained hydrocarbons to vaporize them, then passing them over
a hot aluminum oxide catalyst to split the molecules apart, followed by mixing with steam and heating
to a high temperature.
13. What are alkenes?
