There is one alkane that is the primary component of gasoline. What is it?
2006-09-12 12:28:50 · 5 answers · asked by RED MIST! 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Your premise is incorrect. There is NOT just one alkane that is the primary component of gasoline. Depending on where it comes from and how it's refined, any particular sample is usually composed of a variety of different alkanes and which ones are dominant vary greatly.
There is one alkane that all commercial gasoline is COMPARED to, and that's octane. But the octane rating of gasoline refers to knock resistance, not octane content. Gasoline with a 100 octane rating would have a knock resistance equivalent to a 100% pure sample of octane, but it doesn't necessary contain ANY octane. Funny, huh?
2006-09-12 12:46:27 · answer #1 · answered by Doctor Why 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
First of all, don't listen to Thomas. Gas actually has very little octane in it. The octane rating actually has to do with how branched the alkanes are. You are right, gas is a mixture of many alkanes, and some alkenes, etc. There is a somewhat of a gaussian distribution about the alkenes. I'm not sure what alkane is the most abundant though. As you move to diesel, kerosene, jet fuel etc. the alkanes become larger.
2006-09-12 20:58:30 · answer #2 · answered by jsn77raider 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gasoline is primarily octane. There is an octane rating on the pumps. It really is a mixture obtained from crude oil containing a little pentane which evaporates quickly, some hexane, some heptane and some octane. Cars seem to like branched chains better so when refining crude they do some changing to get more octane and obtain branched 8 carbon chains. (octane)
2006-09-12 21:27:04 · answer #3 · answered by science teacher 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Octane.... the octane rating tells the percentage of octane in gas.... the remainder of gas is usually heptane
2006-09-12 19:49:07 · answer #4 · answered by The Cheminator 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Oil.
2006-09-12 19:31:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋