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Is gasoline a gas or liquid?
Gasoline (/ˈɡæsəliːn/) or petrol (/ˈpɛtrəl/) (see the etymology for naming differences and the use of the term gas) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines.
Why are liquids used as car fuel?
Liquid fuels are combustible or energy-generating molecules that can be harnessed to create mechanical energy, usually producing kinetic energy; they also must take the shape of their container.
What exactly is gasoline?
Gasoline is a fuel made from crude oil and other petroleum liquids. Gasoline is mainly used as an engine fuel in vehicles. Petroleum refineries and blending facilities produce motor gasoline for sale at retail gasoline fueling stations.
What is the difference between petrol and gasoline?
Definition: Gasoline or petrol is a derivative product of crude oil/petroleum. In the US and Latin countries, term gasoline is used, but in Europe and Asian countries it’s called petrol.
Why is gasoline used as fuel?
Additionally, the specific composition of gasoline results in a high energy density. This high energy density is what makes gasoline such a valuable fuel, as a relatively small volume of fuel can provide a large amount of useful energy.
Can water be turned into fuel?
To fuel a hydrogen car from water, electricity is used to generate hydrogen by electrolysis. The resulting hydrogen is an energy carrier that can power a car by reacting with oxygen from the air to create water, either through burning in a combustion engine or catalyzed to produce electricity in a fuel cell.
Why is petrol used for fuel?
Originally a by-product of the petroleum industry (kerosene being the principal product), gasoline became the preferred automobile fuel because of its high energy of combustion and capacity to mix readily with air in a carburetor.
Do Australians say petrol or gasoline?
UK, Australia, and New Zealand all call gasoline petrol. The US and Canada generally say gas, short for gasoline.
Related Questions More Answers Below. Petrol and gasoline are two names for the same refined oil product that it commonly used to power internal combustion engines. The Americans named petrol, gasoline or gas for short because they found that if you eat/drink it, it gives you digestive gas.
What is the etymology of the word gasoline?
The original etymology of the trade name “gasoline” isn’t entirely clear, but at least one theory (and the one I prefer) is that it referred to the volatile nature of the fuel, that it would easily convert to a gas for combustion. In any case, the name stuck in America, and is colloquially shortened to “gas”,…
What is another name for gasoline in the US?
Gasoline in the US is usually referred to as gas, another shortening of the word gasoline. Unfortunately this is a chance to mix up with natural gas, the hydrocarbons methane, propane and butane which is at standard pressure, a gas. This h
Why is petrol called petrol in the UK but not in America?
Both the English and the Americans are at fault here. Petrol in the UK is likely a shortening of the term refined petroleum which is how they make gasoline. Gasoline in the US is usually referred to as gas, another shortening of the word gasoline.