Similarities Between Gasoline And Diesel

The Chemistry of Gasoline and Diesel Because we are one of the most advanced animals in the world, we humans are constantly improving our methods of living by inventing new tools and gadgets to help achieve this task. With this immense amount of creation, come severe consequences, which is the need to find a usable source of fuel to power these machineries of luxury. To our luck, the discovery of fossil fuels, substances created from the decomposition of ancient organisms and fossils like oil, natural gas, and coal, allowed us to replenish our tools’ thirst for energy; in fact, each of these fossil fuels have their own traits, perks, and downsides that separate them from each other. For instance, coal is a solid, dark mineral that is commonly
For instance, their primary use is to fuel vehicles that contain combustion engines of both consumer and industrial use, due to their efficiency. Furthermore, gasoline and diesel are both the products of the fractional distillation of crude oil. According to Study.com, fractional distillation is when a “chemical mixture” is heated and separated into “various components [of] the mixture” . Therefore, a barrel of crude oil can provide both gasoline and diesel at the same time. To add on, gasoline and diesel are mixtures, containing other additives to improve their efficiency. Another similarity they hold is that they both contain the organic compound hydrocarbon, which is of course, is made of only hydrogen and carbon. However, probably the biggest similarity is that they both emit harmful particles and gasses, such as carbon dioxide, as a byproduct when they are used. Considering the information stated above, people’s inability to distinct the two fuels from each other can be justified, but as stated before, those who are fluent in the scientific field of chemistry won’t have the conflict of deciding which fuel is
Diesel’s hydrocarbon group is usually C12H23; however, the group can range from C10H20 to C15H28. In fact, diesel contains sulfur and releases it with solid carbon particles when it is burned. Unfortunately, the emission of these two elements can cause acid rain in the future. Despite this, diesel is less volatile than gasoline and easier to produce from fractional distillation, making it cheaper as well. Diesel also makes up for its harmful emissions by being more efficient when it comes to producing power. This is solidified by the fact that gasoline can only produce 34.2 mega joules per liter and diesel produces 35.8 mega joules per liter . Also, gasoline engines require more gas at low speeds than diesel engines, so less diesel is needed. Another unique trait it holds is that it burns at about 200 degrees Celsius. Of course, the biggest difference is how it is used in the engine. Unlike gasoline, diesel is used through compression and not by being sparked. It begins with air entering the chamber through a valve and making the piston moving down. Next, the chamber closes off the valves, while diesel is sprayed into the chamber and then is compressed. Because of the compression, the air mixture explodes and moves the piston back down. Another valve then opens to release the excess gas from the combustion and the piston moves back up. Like the gasoline engine, the piston is connected to the