Ask Lori a Science Question

[madlori]

Well, everyone...it's been a few months, so it's time for another round of...

Ask Lori a Science QuestionYou know the rules, sing right along

Comments

[snowqueenofhoth]

What's the difference between oil and gas? As in, kerosene is oil? Because I realize it's not gas in the vapor sense, but I thought it was a form of gasoline? Or something?

In other words, my heater makes my apartment smell most obnoxious, and I think a gas heater would be better. But now I'm curious about the differences.

Although maybe electric is really the way to go.

Anyway. Gas. Oil. Kerosene. Yeah. Help? :)

[madlori]

Well, that's kind of tricky, because crude oil (petroleum), gasoline and kerosine are all kind of versions of the same thing.

Petroleum is what they pump out of the ground. It consists mostly of various hydrocarbons of varying lengths and sizes. It's refined through a series of distillations into other products.

Gasoline is comprised of part refined crude oil (the octane component) and part other organic compounds like benzene, toluene, naphthalene and other things to make the engine run smoothly.

Kerosene isn't such a hodgepodge...it's pretty much pure refined crude oil, but it's a different component than gasoline in that the individual carbon chains are generally a little bit longer than in gasoline.

Don't confuse gasoline with natural gas, which is mostly methane and vaporous, and is not derived from petroleum. Natural gas is what gas stoves and gas heaters run on, not gasoline. Propane heat is also common (propane is also a gas, as in a vapor, and is just a slightly larger molecule than methane).

[snowqueenofhoth]

Wow. Interesting! Um. Are there diagrams of the hydrocarbon chains and molecules or whatnot? I don't know if I'd understand now, but I kind of liked that stuff in high school...

And thus, follow-up question. What's safer to use?

[madlori]

Here's a diagram you might find interesting that diagrams the components of crude oil as it's refined. Ask if you want some clarificiation on the distillation process.

[snowqueenofhoth]

I mean safer to use as a heater type. Not IN the heater. :) Yes, I'd have to buy a different one. I'd never just put in a different type of fuel.

Kerosene just seems to give off a LOT of fumes. I have to constantly ventilate the apartment, which then makes it cold again, meaning I need to turn the heater on again, etc. I just wonder if heaters that use different fuels would have less noxious fumes.

But maybe electric is the way to go...