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CAIE A-Level Chemistry 14.1.4 Cracking of Heavy Hydrocarbons

Practise explaining how cracking converts heavy crude-oil fractions into useful lower-Mr alkanes and alkenes.

Syllabus
2028–2030
Course
Chemistry 9701
Level
AS

Exam points

  • identify cracking as the process used to obtain lower-Mr hydrocarbons from heavy fractions
  • include at least one alkene when proposing balanced products from cracking an alkane
  • check candidate product mixtures by conserving the total numbers of carbon and hydrogen atoms

14.1.4—Suggest how cracking can be used to obtain question 1

[Maximum number: 1]

The alkanes are a homologous series of organic molecules. Alkanes are generally unreactive and are commonly used as fuels.

Alkanes with low relative molecular mass, MrM_{\mathrm{r}}, are more useful than those found in heavier crude oil fractions.

Name the process that is used to obtain alkanes with low MrM_{\mathrm{r}} from heavier crude oil fractions.

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