Question

Liquid hydrocarbon is converted into mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons by

• A. cracking
• B. oxidation
• C. hydrolysis
• D. distillation under reduced pressure

Hint:

Cracking converts heavy hydrocarbons into lighter gaseous products.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The question concerns the process by which liquid hydrocarbons are transformed into gaseous hydrocarbons. To determine the correct answer, we must evaluate each of the options provided based on their relevance to this transformation.

1. Cracking: Cracking is a process widely used in the petroleum industry to break down large complex hydrocarbon molecules into smaller ones, including gaseous hydrocarbons. For instance, liquid fractions like kerosene or diesel can be converted into lighter products like ethene or propene through cracking. Therefore, this is an appropriate mechanism that directly converts liquid hydrocarbons into gaseous ones.
2. Oxidation: Oxidation refers to a reaction where a substance combines with oxygen, often involving burning or combustion. While oxidation can happen in hydrocarbons, it typically results in the formation of carbon dioxide and water, not a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons. This is mainly a process of combustion or chemical degradation rather than conversion into gaseous hydrocarbons.
3. Hydrolysis: Hydrolysis involves the chemical breakdown of a compound due to reaction with water. This process isn't commonly used to convert hydrocarbon liquids into gaseous forms, as hydrocarbons do not easily react with water.
4. Distillation under reduced pressure: This is primarily a separation process, used to separate components of a liquid mixture based on different boiling points under reduced pressure, which is often used for heat-sensitive materials. It doesn’t change the state of hydrocarbons from liquid to gas on a molecular level, only separate them based on volatility.

Conclusion: The correct process for converting liquid hydrocarbons into a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons is cracking. The provided correct answer seems to have a mistake. Based on the typical chemical processes associated with the transformation of hydrocarbons, cracking is the most appropriate method, not oxidation.