What's the difference between Unleaded and Diesel?

Question

Also, which of the two put less of a strain on the worlds natural resources?

Thanks in advance and have a nice day.

Answer 1

diesel is more expencive however it runs on more miles per gallon, but deisel is worse for the envirinment

Answer 2

unleaded is purified petrol. some content of graphite like subtance has been removed from the petrol. help your engine in combution.

purified diesel is the one were sulphur content has been removed reasonably and helps your oil to last longer in your engine.

Answer 3

Tricky little question really, I drove a small Vauxhall Corsa van with a 1.3 Lt diesol the other week, it did 60 plus mpg and went like hot snot! My car on the other hand, an Audi petrol 1.6 Lt FSI only returns around 44 mpg at best and delivers similar performance (maybe a bit quicker). But generally, I believe that diesel is the worst polluter out of the 2 and the difference in cost in the UK is about 16 pence a litre on the forecourt and that says it all really.

Diesel takes less refining, so arguably should be a greener fuel because the process doesn't involve expensive refining techniques - the way I see it. BUT, the fumes given off by cars and trucks are really thick and polluting, drive behind a bus or a truck and you'll know what I mean. Generally, diesel engine emissions are worse than petrol - but not always the case with newer engines and catalytic converters. The govt and the oil producers seem to think that diesel is the worst offender for 'green' issues, hence the higher charges on the fourcourts. But that could well be an excuse just to tax motorists! Since many people switched to diesel power, the cost difference has increased. As for the biggest drain on the Earth's resources, market forces dictate that.

People need fuel, so both unleaded and diesel are a drain, but there are still more petrol engines than diesel, so it must be petrol that drains more resourses. More petrol is sold than diesel and that's why there are twice as many petrol pumps on the forecourts.

Answer 4

Unleaded is a gasoline while diesel is different.  Main difference is a gasoline engine uses a compression ratio approximately 10:1 and a spark plug to ignite the fuel.  Diesels can have ratios well over 20:1 and use the heat generated from the compression to ignite the fuel.  This generally requires a much stronger and more precise engine.  Translates to more expensive.  The advantage is that it performs much better.  If you put diesel in a gas car it won't function well at all.  If you put gas (unleaded) in a diesel vehicle you will probably destroy the engine.

Answer 5

Diesel fuel is heavier and oilier than petrol (gasoline) and evaporates much more slowly than gasoline.

Sometimes diesel fuel is called "diesel oil" because it is so oily.

Diesel is usually less refined than petrol which is why it is generally cheaper.

Petrol would put a bigger strain on the world's resources as more engery is being used during the refineing process.

but i suggest using the water powered car the japanese just invented. its still a prototype but who knows, the next time you're low on fuel, you just p**s into the tank

Answer 6

diesel burns for longer so you get more miles out of it!!!

Answer 7

They both put an equal strain on the world's natural resources.

Diesel is an oil, whereas petrol/gasoline is a "spirit" ie a lighter distillate of oil.

Answer 8

Unleaded is cheaper in some countries, more expensive in others.

Unleaded gives people cancer. Diesel protects the enviroment with a layer of soot, and also causes cancer.

Answer 9

Diesel goes more miles

However, Unleaded is much cheaper.

Answer 10

Unleaded is petroleum and as the name suggests does not have lead added anymore which used to protect the engine by protecting the parts in the combustion chamber which come together hard. It requires a spark to ignite the fuel/air mixture. In use it is much cleaner than diesel.

Diesel is a fuel oil and ignites by being compressed by the engine so that it self combusts. Only on starting does it need help from a glow plug. It is a foul smelling fuel and contaminates every thing it comes into contact with.

But petrol would require more resources or energy to produce it, where diesel is almost a by-product from petrol's production.  So there is a fine balance between the two taken all round.

Answer 11

Unleaded is combustible, and diesel is heat

BioDiesel is better on natural resources

Answer 12

unleaded=petrol needs a spark to egnight forceing the pistons up and down/side to side depending on car..

diesal=compresion causing it to egnight...the pistion 'squashes' it down and the fuel 'explodes' causeing the piston back up..

a smaller petrol engine would be more economical

Answer 13

unleaded is petrol and diesel is not but both refined from oil.

Diesel gives better miles per gallon BUT uses more oxygen to do that.

Answer 14

They are two different fractions of petroleum. Unleaded refers to gasoline which is used by automobiles and has a lower boiling point. Diesel is used by trucks and has a higher boiling point. In between the two there is the jet fuel which is used by planes. Since both diesel and gasoline come directly from petroleum there is no difference in the "strain" on the worlds natural resources since it doesn't matter for what reason the oil is consummed.

Answer 15

Both refined from oil,Petrol takes more refining to make it where as Diesel is more carcinogenic ie has more pollutants in it. Diesel gives better miles per gallon but uses more oxygen to do it.So buy a smaller engine car which will be more economical and kinder to the plant.

Answer 16

Diesel is deisel and unleaded is petrol.  Cars won't run on either or.  Depends on the engine in the car.

Answer 17

diesel does not need a spark plug to run

unleaded does