Question

Is crude oil a mixture or a compound? Explain

Answer 1

Compound means a substance formed as a blend of various elements chemically in a certain proportion, by weight. It is entirely new substance, which possesses properties different from that of its constituent substances.The constituents of a compound can be separated only by chemical or electro-chemical reactions.
For example – Water, salt, carbon dioxide, sodium chloride, etc.

When two or more substances are put together, in any ratio such that no chemical reaction takes place, the material comes out, is a mixture.The components of the mixture can be easily separated by physical methods like filtering,evaporating,condensing etc.
For example – Sand and water, sugar and salt, air, etc.

Coming to our question:
Crude oil is a mixture(not a single compound) of many substances such as gas, petrol, diesel, kerosene, lubricating oil, paraffin wax, etc.
i.e Crude oil is a mixture of many compounds like gas, petrol, diesel, kerosene, lubricating oil, paraffin wax, etc.
The reason why we call crude oil a mixture is because,the constituients of crude oil does not chemically bond each other.
Another reason is that the mixtures can be easily separated using a pysical process called fractional distillation at refinery.
Hence crude oil is a mixture.