12 MC In 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The accident released 40 million litres of
crude oil. The oil eventually covered 26 000 km2 of water.
(a) Explain why very little of the spilt oil dissolved in the water.
(b) The density of crude oil varies. Assuming a value of 0.86 g/mL,
estimate the average thickness of the oil slick that resulted from
the Exxon Valdez disaster.
(c) How do you think most of the oil from a tanker accident is
dispersed over time? Why would this have been a slow process
in Prince William Sound?