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Question: What is the difference between 'oil' and 'gasoline'?



Answer: The "crude oil" pumped out of the ground is a black liquid called petroleum. This liquid contains aliphatic hydrocarbons, or hydrocarbons composed of nothing but hydrogen and carbon. The carbon atoms link together in chains of different lengths.



It turns out that hydrocarbon molecules of different lengths have different properties and behaviors. For example, a chain with just one carbon atom in it (CH4) is the lightest chain, known as methane. Methane is a gas so light that it floats like helium. As the chains get longer, they get heavier.



The different chain lengths have progressively higher boiling points, so they can be separated out by distillation. This is what happens in an oil refinery -- crude oil is heated and the different chains are pulled out by their vaporization temperatures.



The scientific names of chains are written based on the number of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms in each molecule. For example a C6H12 chain has 6 carbon atoms and 12 hydrogen atoms.



The chains from C7H16 through C11H24 are blended together and used for gasoline. All of them vaporize at temperatures below the boiling point of water. That's why if you spill gasoline on the ground it evaporates very quickly.



The terms oil and gasoline are commonly interchanged and may mean different things depending on the context they're used in. But for purposes of answering the question, oil is the stuff that comes out of the ground -- gasoline is the stuff that goes in the car.



Source: HowStuffWorks.Com

2006-11-20 09:09:28 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

The very comprehensive chemistry lesson was interesting. If you were asking what role does each play once they leave the refinery, note the following: At some risk of over simplification, oil (the already refined type) is a lubricant, gasoline is a fuel.

Lubricants are designed to fill gaps between moving metal parts to keep them from seizing. An example is motor oil. Motor oil is flammable but not enough to pass as fuel.
Gasoline is a very volatile liquid that is designed to burn rapidly with enough intensity to do large amounts of work within an internal combustion engine.
That said, some thicker fuels like diesel or kerosene are sometimes called "oil", but are mostly used a fuel.

2006-11-20 12:00:37 · answer #2 · answered by db79300 4 · 0 0

Oil is used for lubrication. It is thicker than gasoline. It is a distillation product of crude oil.
Gasoline is a fuel, burned in the cylinder to make the car run. It also is a distillation product of crude oil. It s a smaller molecule than the oils.

2006-11-21 06:00:19 · answer #3 · answered by science teacher 7 · 0 0

In a subtle state, oil has lubrication features, gas has none. All burn, yet gas has an rather severe flash ingredient, even interior the chilly and burns with purely a spark, oil should be heated to place off explosive vapors to burn.

2016-12-17 13:22:19 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

Oil is a lubricant, and Gas is a highly combustible fuel.

2006-11-20 15:47:35 · answer #5 · answered by Doug 3 · 0 0

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