Concept:
Petroleum refining separates crude oil into fractions based on boiling point ranges, which correspond to different carbon chain lengths.
Step 1: Recall fractional distillation ranges.
Common fractions and their carbon ranges:
• Petroleum gas: \(C_1 - C_4\)
• Petrol (gasoline): \(C_5 - C_{10}\)
• Naphtha: \(C_6 - C_{12}\)
• Kerosene: \(C_{12} - C_{16}\)
• Diesel: \(C_{14} - C_{20}\)
• Fuel oil: \(C_{20} - C_{30}\)
• Residue (bitumen): \(> C_{30}\)
Step 2: Identify kerosene range.
Kerosene contains hydrocarbons with approximately 12 to 16 carbon atoms per molecule.