Cracking

Question 1

How can liquid paraffin (an alkane) be cracked in a lab?

Answer 1

1) The porous pot is heated strongly.
2) The liquid paraffin is heated and evaporates.
3) The paraffin vapour passes over the hot porous pot, and the hydrocarbon molecules break down.
4) One of the products is ethene, which is a gas and collects in the other tube.