Overhead product is made of which type of hydrocarbons?

• A. Lights
• B. Heavy's
• C. Naphtha
• D. Gases

Answer: (A)

Overhead product comes off the top of a distillation column, so it contains the lightest hydrocarbons. In distillation, compounds with lower boiling points rise higher in the column, and the top stream collects those light ends while heavier fractions remain in the bottom. That makes the overhead product composed of lights—the light-end hydrocarbons (the low-boiling range). Heavier fractions like naphtha or heavier liquids stay down as bottoms, and while some very light gases can be part of the overhead, the overall characterization is the light ends.