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Organic Chemistry

Properties of hydrocarbons

  • 3 things to know
  • Chemistry Paper 2

Overview

How boiling point, viscosity and flammability depend on molecular size, what viscosity and flammability mean, complete combustion of hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide and water as an exothermic oxidation, balanced combustion equations for methane, ethane and propane, and choosing hydrocarbons as fuels.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Explain why the size of its molecules decides how a hydrocarbon is used as a fuel.

Key term

What is meant by the viscosity of a liquid?

Key term

What is meant by the flammability of a fuel?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Name three properties of a hydrocarbon that depend on the size of its molecules.

    Model answer

    Boiling point, viscosity and flammability.

  2. 2

    What is meant by the viscosity of a liquid?

    Model answer

    Viscosity is how easily a liquid flows; a liquid of high viscosity is thick and flows slowly.

  3. 3

    What is meant by the flammability of a fuel?

    Model answer

    Flammability is how easily the fuel catches fire and burns.

  4. 4

    Explain why the size of its molecules decides how a hydrocarbon is used as a fuel.

    Model answer

    Molecular size controls boiling point, viscosity and flammability, so small molecules make gases and petrol that ignite easily, while large molecules make thick liquids burned in furnaces and ships.

  5. 5

    How does the boiling point of a hydrocarbon change as its molecules get larger?

    Model answer

    The boiling point increases.

  6. 6

    How does viscosity change as hydrocarbon molecules get larger?

    Model answer

    Viscosity increases, so the liquid flows less easily.

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AMolecular size controls boiling point, viscosity and flammability.
BSmall molecules make gases and petrol that ignite easily.
CLarge molecules make thick liquids burned in furnaces and ships.

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