Final answer:
Hydrocarbons are broken into shorter chain lengths to transform less valuable long chains into more valuable shorter ones like gasoline, driven by market demand and refining efficiency. This process, called refinement, separates crude oil by hydrocarbon chain length and utilizes those components for various uses including energy production and manufacturing of plastics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Breaking hydrocarbons into shorter chain lengths through processes such as cracking and reforming is beneficial as it allows for the conversion of longer, less valuable hydrocarbon chains into shorter, more valuable ones like gasoline.
This transformation is driven by demand for certain petroleum products and the desire to increase the efficiency and profitability of the refining process.
Additionally, the process of refinement serves to separate crude oil into its component parts, which can then be utilized for various purposes, including energy production and as feedstock for making plastics.
Moreover, different hydrocarbons have different physical and chemical properties, which means they are suited for different uses.
The versatility of hydrocarbons, due to their ability to exist in different forms such as linear, branched, or cyclic chains, with single, double, or triple bonds, further underscores the importance of breaking them into shorter chains to meet varied requirements.