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Chemistry · Paper 2 · Foundation + Higher · C7

Crude oil and hydrocarbons

Key ideas1 of 3

A mixture from ancient life

Crude oil is a mixture of many compounds found in rocks. It formed from ancient biomass, mainly plankton, buried in mud and changed over millions of years.

Process diagram: ancient plankton is buried in mud; over millions of years, heat and pressure help form crude oil in rocks. The resource is finite.

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Foundation + Higher · C7. All C7 lessons are shared by Foundation and Higher Tier.

AQA Combined Science Trilogy 8464 · 5.7.1.1. Original notes, questions and diagrams. Models are simplified, not to scale; illustrative data are labelled.