WEBVTT - How Carbon Chains Work

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff from how stuff Works dot com

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<v Speaker 1>where smart Happens. Hi Am Marshall Brain with today's question,

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<v Speaker 1>what is the difference between gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel and

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<v Speaker 1>so on? The crude oil pumped out of the ground

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<v Speaker 1>is a black liquid called petroleum. This liquid contains aliphatic hydrocarbons,

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<v Speaker 1>or hydrocarbons, composed of nothing but hydrogen and carbon, the

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<v Speaker 1>carbon atoms linked together in chains of different links. It

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<v Speaker 1>turns out that hydrocarbon molecules of different links have different

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<v Speaker 1>properties and behaviors. For example, a chain with just one

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<v Speaker 1>carbon atom in it is the lightest chain, known as methane.

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<v Speaker 1>Meth Sane is a gas so light that it floats

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<v Speaker 1>like helium. As the chains get longer, they get heavier.

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<v Speaker 1>The first four chains, methane with one carbon, ethane with

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<v Speaker 1>two carbons, propane with three carbons, and butane with four

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<v Speaker 1>carbons are all gases. The chains and the C five,

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<v Speaker 1>C six, and C seven range are all very light.

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<v Speaker 1>Easily vaporized clear liquids called napthas. They are used as solvents.

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<v Speaker 1>Dry cleaning fluids can be made from these liquids, as

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<v Speaker 1>well as paint solvents and other quick drying products. The

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<v Speaker 1>chains from C seven through C eleven are blended together

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<v Speaker 1>and used for gasoline. All of them vaporize at temperatures

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<v Speaker 1>below the boiling point of water. That's why if you

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<v Speaker 1>spill gasoline on the ground, it evaporates very quickly. Next

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<v Speaker 1>is kerosene in the C twelve to C fifteen range,

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<v Speaker 1>followed by diesel fuel and heavier fuel oils like heating

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<v Speaker 1>oil for houses. Next come the lubricating oils. These oils

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<v Speaker 1>no longer vay prize in any way at normal temperatures.

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<v Speaker 1>For example, engine oil can run all day at two

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<v Speaker 1>degrees fahrenheit without vaporizing at all. Oils go from very

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<v Speaker 1>light like three and one oil, through various thicknesses of

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<v Speaker 1>motor oil, through very thick gear oils, and then semi

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<v Speaker 1>solid greases. Petroleum jelly falls in there as well. Chains

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<v Speaker 1>above the C twenty range form solids, starting with paraffin wax,

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<v Speaker 1>then tar, and finally asphaltic bitumn, which is used to

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<v Speaker 1>make asphalt roads. All these different substances come from crude oil.

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<v Speaker 1>The only difference is the length of the carbon chains.

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