Question

Kerosene is a mixture of :
(A)- alkanes
(B)- aromatic compounds
(C)- alcohols
(D)- aliphatic acid

Answer 1

Hint: Kerosene is an oil distillate and is one of the most important sub-products of the petroleum industry. Kerosene is chemically a mixture of different types of hydrocarbons and other substances.

Complete step by step answer:
-Kerosene is a thin, clear liquid extracted from coal, oil shale, and wood but is primarily derived from refined petroleum.
-Kerosene derived its name from the Greek word, “keros” meaning “wax”.
-Kerosene is known by many other names like paraffin, lamp oil, and coal oil.
-Kerosene has a very low viscosity and can be separated from the fractional distillation of petroleum between 150 to $275{}^\circ C$. Kerosene being immiscible in water hence is miscible in petroleum solvents.
-Kerosene has a fairly complex composition which includes, 55.2% paraffin, 40.9% naphthalenes, and 3.9% aromatic hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons in the kerosene may have 11 to 13 carbons in the chains.
-In simple words, we can say that kerosene contains almost 20% of different aromatic hydrocarbons.
So, the correct answer is “Option A”.

Note: Kerosene has been an important commodity in the days before the discovery of electric lighting and was the first material to be chemically extracted on a large commercial scale. It is widely used as a fuel for small outboard motors and even motorcycles and is also used to power jet engines of aircraft and some rocket engines. In less developed countries, kerosene is also used as an important source of energy for cooking and lighting. Kerosene in chemistry is used as a diluent in the PUREX extraction process. It can also be used to store crystals in X-ray crystallography. It can also prevent the air from being re-dissolved in a boiled liquid. It is also used in the entertainment industry for fire performances like fire breathing, fire juggling, or poi and fire dancing acts. It can also be applied to remove mucilage or adhesive left by stickers on a glass surface.