Chemistry GCSE
Cracking
What Cracking means in Chemistry GCSE, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of Cracking
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Reference: AQA
Breaking large hydrocarbon molecules down into smaller molecules that are more useful as fuels and as starting materials for making polymers and other chemicals.
A chemical process that breaks large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller molecules, producing a mixture of smaller alkanes and alkenes.
A process that converts larger hydrocarbon molecules into smaller, more useful molecules, including alkenes.
A processing method that breaks larger molecules into smaller ones to provide fuels and petrochemicals.
Thermal decomposition of large, less useful hydrocarbon molecules into smaller, more useful ones.
Topics that use Cracking
- Cracking and alkenes (AQA GCSE)
- Fractional distillation and petrochemicals (AQA GCSE)
- Using the Earth's resources and sustainable development (AQA GCSE)
Related terms
- Alkenes
- Finite resources
- Fractional distillation
- Addition polymerisation
- Addition reaction
- Agricultural productivity
- Alkane
- Boiling point and molecular size
Using Cracking in the exam
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