Passage II
Crude oil contains thousands of chemical compounds. To obtain commercially useful compounds, crude oil is distilled in a fractionating tower (see Figure 1). The crude oil is first heated to 400°C in a furnace, then pumped into the fractionating tower. As vapors from the oil rise, they cool and condense. Fractions are collected at different heights in the tower. Each fraction contains a mixture 'of hydrocarbon molecules with similar boiling points. Table 1 shows information about some of the fractions that can be collected. Figure 2 shows the composition of crude oils obtained in 6 different geographic locations.
Figure 1 adapted from American Chemical Society, ChemCom: Chemistry in the Community, 2nd ed. ©1993 by American Chemical Society.
Figure 2 adapted from The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. ©1986 by Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
12. Is the statement “Oils boiling at temperatures above 340℃ make up the largest proportion of each of the 6 crude oils shown in Figure 2” supported by Figure 2?
Your Answer is
Correct Answer is H
Explanation
Looking at figure 2, for Samples A & B & C, the boiling points above 340°C account for the majority, while other samples are not, so the question stem is wrong