1 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff from how stuff Works dot com 2 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: where smart Happens. Hi Am Marshall Brain with today's question, 3 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: what is the difference between gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel and 4 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: so on? The crude oil pumped out of the ground 5 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: is a black liquid called petroleum. This liquid contains aliphatic hydrocarbons, 6 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: or hydrocarbons, composed of nothing but hydrogen and carbon, the 7 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 1: carbon atoms linked together in chains of different links. It 8 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:51,919 Speaker 1: turns out that hydrocarbon molecules of different links have different 9 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: properties and behaviors. For example, a chain with just one 10 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: carbon atom in it is the lightest chain, known as methane. 11 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: Meth Sane is a gas so light that it floats 12 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 1: like helium. As the chains get longer, they get heavier. 13 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: The first four chains, methane with one carbon, ethane with 14 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: two carbons, propane with three carbons, and butane with four 15 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: carbons are all gases. The chains and the C five, 16 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: C six, and C seven range are all very light. 17 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 1: Easily vaporized clear liquids called napthas. They are used as solvents. 18 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 1: Dry cleaning fluids can be made from these liquids, as 19 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 1: well as paint solvents and other quick drying products. The 20 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: chains from C seven through C eleven are blended together 21 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:40,119 Speaker 1: and used for gasoline. All of them vaporize at temperatures 22 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: below the boiling point of water. That's why if you 23 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: spill gasoline on the ground, it evaporates very quickly. Next 24 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: is kerosene in the C twelve to C fifteen range, 25 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: followed by diesel fuel and heavier fuel oils like heating 26 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: oil for houses. Next come the lubricating oils. These oils 27 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: no longer vay prize in any way at normal temperatures. 28 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: For example, engine oil can run all day at two 29 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: degrees fahrenheit without vaporizing at all. Oils go from very 30 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: light like three and one oil, through various thicknesses of 31 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 1: motor oil, through very thick gear oils, and then semi 32 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: solid greases. Petroleum jelly falls in there as well. Chains 33 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: above the C twenty range form solids, starting with paraffin wax, 34 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: then tar, and finally asphaltic bitumn, which is used to 35 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: make asphalt roads. All these different substances come from crude oil. 36 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: The only difference is the length of the carbon chains. 37 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,239 Speaker 1: Do you have any ideas or suggestions for this podcast. 38 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: If so, please send me an email at podcast at 39 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com. For more on this and 40 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: thousands of other topics, go to how stuff works dot com.