2006-08-19 15:31:16 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
I think the surface tension for gasoline would not allow for much buoyancy and the swimmer would be overcome by the vapors. A person may be able to swim in it, but not for long.
2006-08-19 15:39:05 · answer #1 · answered by Shaula 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Gasoline poses a serious health risk to humans. It is absorbed into the skin and gets into the blood where it can cause blood clots and strokes. That can kill a person.
A person not only should not swim in gasoline, they shouldn't even wash their hands in it. There are many well documented cases of death from stokes caused from just washing hands in gasoline to get greece off of the hands.
Swimming would increase the absorption of gasoline into the blood to a level that would cause certain death.
2006-08-20 00:26:20 · answer #2 · answered by Alan Turing 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. The density of gasoline is approximately 0.7 grams per milliliter. Water has a density of 1.0 grams per milliliter. The difference between the human body and water is very close -- only 0.05 grams per milliliter. With a lot of exertion you can overcome a 0.05 difference in density. A 0.3 difference is impossible to overcome -- a person would sink like a rock.
I worked with fuel in the Navy -- these were tanks several stories tall. People have fallen into large gas tanks, and no one has ever been able to swim to safety.
2006-08-21 14:43:24 · answer #3 · answered by The Q 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
sure, but I doubt a person without flotation devices could "float" in gasoline
gasoline is quite a bit lighter than water so things that have a density similar to water (like people) will sink
a good swimmer could still swim for some time and keep his head out of the water
just as people can wear weights and swim (lifequards sometimes train that way)
2006-08-19 22:38:01 · answer #4 · answered by enginerd 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One can swim but can not dive. Gasoline is lighter than water. So the swimmer has to exert more.
2006-08-19 22:48:48 · answer #5 · answered by J.SWAMY I ఇ జ స్వామి 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Who's rich enough to have a pool of gasoline? I'll come over and prove it is possible...
2006-08-19 22:48:34 · answer #6 · answered by cagrunner 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes ( but as i am sure you know the density would not allow floating ) ( and swimming would require more energy ) and as you may not know the density of the human body is greater than WATER we can float because of air in our body ( not just the lungs but our digestive system and spaces around our organs ) *************why does everyone assume you are swimming NAKED ? SORRY only one person did !
2006-08-19 22:36:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If someone were to drop a match in it, I could reach the other side of an olympic size pool in about four tenths of a second !!
2006-08-19 23:13:17 · answer #8 · answered by LeAnne 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but not for long from the fumes and absorbing it through the skin.
2006-08-19 22:37:20 · answer #9 · answered by Lisa the Pooh 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No one knows. No one can afford enough gas to find out
2006-08-19 22:37:04 · answer #10 · answered by sponggie 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋