Alkanes and Petroleum

Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons with general formula C(n)H(2n+2)
Petroleum is a mixture of hydrocarbons that can be separated by fractional distillation
Fractions are mixtures with similar numbers of carbon atoms and boiling points
Cracking is a chemical reaction that breaks long-chain alkanes into shorter chain hydrocarbons
Shorter chain hydrocarbons are more in demand and economically valuable as fuels
Cracking can occur through thermal or catalytic processes under specific conditions