Whats in gasoline that makes it so special for cars to run on? ?

Question

The question might sound dumb...but what is IN it..that enables it to fuel cars and such.

Answer 1

Gasoline is essentially a chain of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms bonded to them.  These bonds were formed with great pressure over many thousands of years.

When you heat gasoline and add air, the carbon and hydrogen bonds break, as the individual atoms rush to combine with the oxygen.  As the carbons and hydrogens recombine, they give off big bursts of energy that originally held them together in the first place.  That's what is able to move a car, or other vehicle.

What is left is water, CO2 and CO.  There are other products there too, but those are the result of imperfections in the combustion and other elements that got into the mix.

Answer 2

Lately, it has become important to have a source of oxygen mixed in with the gasoline, to reduce pollution. Ethanol is a good source of oxygen for this, and much gasoline has 10% Ethanol mixed in, to meet smog regs in many states. Ethanol is our next and renewable fuel for cars. There are many new species of Maize/corn which can grow well on currently unused poor soil. A federal program to swing in on this can produce enough Ethanol for all our auto fuel needs, and some for export! Check details at http://www.regardslarry.com/

Answer 3

the ability to burn slowly

Answer 4

Gasoline is a complex mixture of organic (carbon based) compounds.  What makes gasoline a good fuel is that as a liquid it is easily stored and transported, it can easily be converted into a gas that burns explosively and when burned it releases a lot of energy as heat.

Answer 5

Gasoline consist mostly of alkanes, chains of carbon atoms with from 5 to 12 carbons, with hydrogen atoms attached.  Burning such compounds releases a great deal of heat, which is converted by the engine into motive power.