Cracking & its Products

There is a much greater demand for shorter hydrocarbon than there is for the longer hydrocarbons.

Long chain hydrocarbons can be broken into smaller hydrocarbons, by heating with a catalyst.

This is a thermal decomposition reaction known as cracking.

Cracking produces two types of hydrocarbon

1. Alkanes with only single covalent bonds

2. Alkenes with one or more double covalent bonds

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Test for alkenes: alkenes turn bromine water from brown to colourless.

This video shows an overview about Cracking Paraffin