Question

Write a breif note on petroleum for clss 10form sst ncert book?

Answer 1

Definition of Petroleum

Have you ever walked by a street, being paved with asphalt, taken a whiff and frowned because of the obnoxious chemical smell? The liquid material used to make asphalt (and what contributes to that offensive smell) is called petroleum. Petroleum is a liquid found deep within the Earth's surface. It's categorized as naturally occurring and is collected from drilling into the Earth. Petroleum is often described as brown or black in color.

Although it's commonly found in liquid form, underneath the Earth's surface, it can also be in the form of a gas. A natural gas is a naturally-occurring combustible mix of different hydrocarbons found below the Earth's surface. Combustible refers to the ability for this gas to be explosive or easily ignite a fire. A hydrocarbon is any type of substance that's got carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms present. The petroleum you see when you drill down will either flow out as a liquid (oil) or escape into the air as a gas. Diagram 1 illustrates this concept.

Diagram 1: Illustration Of Petroleum (Liquid and Gas) Below Earth

Petroleum Chemistry 101

The basic elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and even metals are found in petroleum. Petroleum exists in two different forms: natural gas or liquid. When petroleum is released from the Earth as a liquid it's referred to as crude oil. Crude oilis a type of liquid that contains a very complex mixture of different hydrocarbons. The typical hydrocarbons you will find in crude oil include alkenes, cycloalkanes, and aromatic hydrocarbons.