Describe crude oil as a valuable, finite resource located within rocks.
Understand that crude oil forms from the remains of ancient biomass, predominantly microscopic plankton, that was buried in mud millions of years ago.
Identify crude oil as a complex mixture containing a very large number of distinct compounds.
Recognize that the vast majority of compounds in crude oil are hydrocarbons, which are defined as molecules strictly consisting of hydrogen and carbon atoms.
Identify alkanes as the most common type of hydrocarbon present within crude oil.
Recall and apply the general formula for the homologous series of alkanes:
CnH2n+2
Identify the names of the first four members of the alkane series: methane, ethane, propane, and butane.
Recognize specific substances as alkanes when presented with their formulas, including standard chemical forms (e.g., C2H6) or diagrammatic structural forms.
