Density of gasoline: within what limits it is, at different temperatures, GOST

Gasoline is a product obtained by distilling petroleum, an explosive mixture of hydrocarbons that is used as fuel for cars. Approximately 25% of all oil produced in the world is processed into gasoline. The key parameter of the fuel is the octane number - resistance to detonation. This is not an indicator of the quality of the product, but the requirements that it must meet in order to be subsequently compatible with a certain type of internal combustion engine. Another important characteristic is the density of gasoline, which reflects its performance properties.

How is the density of gasoline measured?

The additives included in the composition determine the boiling and freezing points. From the physics course we remember that density is nothing more than the ratio of mass to volume, and the value is calculated in kilograms per cubic meter. Usually, due to the difference between the declared and final indicators, the main disagreements arise between the manufacturer and the wholesale consumer. It is important to understand that fuel density does not reflect quality. All measurements must take place under the same conditions, that is, at the same ambient temperature.

Average values:

When purchasing fuel, each driver has the right to inquire according to what standard this parameter was measured. The current GOST defines a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, when the previous standard allowed 20 degrees. You can measure it even in a garage. It is enough to fill the container with gasoline, weigh it and divide the result by liters - the final figure is the density.

The procedure looks something like this:

• take any graduated container that can be weighed;
• weigh it and write down the result;
• fill the container with 100 ml of fuel;
• We weigh again, then subtract the first from the second result;
• We divide the resulting figure by the volume of fuel in the container.

A simple and quick method is to use a special device. One of these devices is considered to be a hydrometer - a device that, for the purpose of measurement, implements the Archimedes principle. In addition, a hydrometer allows you to determine the concentration and amount of impurities. It consists of a glass cylinder: on one side there is a tube with a rounded bottom, on the other there is a small diameter tube with markings. Based on the scale readings and the amount of liquid displaced, it is easy to determine the desired parameter.

How much does 1 liter of diesel fuel weigh?

But these are facts, and what can you learn about gasoline if you look at the numbers. For example, how much does a liter of gasoline weigh? And can it be measured? Of course, knowing these numbers can open up a completely different way of looking at this liquid.

As you know, gasoline is divided into several categories, namely: A-76, A-80, A-92, A-95 and A-98. It should be noted that the weight of one liter of gasoline may differ in each case. So, we know some data on the weight of liquid in a volume of one liter, each brand of gasoline.

• On average, the weight of one liter of A-76 gasoline is 0.730 kg. But this is at a temperature of +20°C.
• On average, the weight of one liter of A-80 gasoline is 0.730 kg.
• On average, the weight of one liter of A-92 gasoline is 0.760 kg.
• On average, the weight of one liter of A-95 gasoline is 0.750 kg.
• On average, the weight of one liter of A-98 gasoline is 0.780 kg.

So, we found out how much a liter of gasoline for each of the above brands will weigh. But another characteristic of gasoline is also known. Thus, the weight of one liter of gasoline will directly depend on the ambient temperature. Moreover, the higher the temperature on the thermometer, the lighter the weight of a liter of gasoline. Some laboratories carry out special measurements of gasoline. For example, at a temperature of +16°C, the density of A-92 gasoline is 0.765 g/l. If we start from the measurements given above, we get the weight of one liter of gasoline heavier. Why? The whole thing depends on the ambient temperature. For this reason, the weight may vary in each individual measurement. It is a completely different matter if such measurements are carried out, therefore, as the temperature increases or decreases. Then we will be able to know the exact density of gasoline.

But today no one buys gasoline one liter at a time. For example, some people immediately fill up the full tank of their car. At the same time, the appetite of a particular car varies. Others buy gasoline in cans. For example, if you have a canister with a capacity of 19 liters, then you can accurately calculate the weight of an empty canister and a full one. A canister filled with gasoline weighs 16.325 kilograms. Accordingly, an empty canister without contents has a mass of 2,550 kilograms. Moreover, if we assume that one liter weighs 0.725 kg, then a simple calculation should be performed. From the sum of the weight of the gasoline canister (16.325 kg), subtract the sum of the empty canister (2.550 kg). As a result, we get the amount of 13.775 kg of gasoline in a nineteen-liter canister. You can easily check this amount by making the following calculation:

13.775 kg / - 0.725 kg = 19 liters.

So, using such mathematical operations, you can accurately calculate the mass of gasoline in a particular canister.

But someone might object, why convert the unit of measurement liter into kilograms or even tons? In fact, this is not done easily for fun. For a large number of consumers of fuels and lubricants, this is one of the important tasks, and especially for accountants of a particular enterprise. In the process of accounting for the storage of either bulk or liquid substances, in our case gasoline, there is often a need for conversion. So, converting volume into mass is extremely important and even necessary in order to make it easier to fill out reporting documentation, financial calculations, and also make payments for wholesale fuel sales. This is mainly due to the fact that the generally accepted form of supply of fuel and lubricants is a tank, which has a fixed capacity. But, accounting is always carried out in units of mass! Moreover, if gasoline is sold wholesale, it is much easier to count in tons. This is how arithmetic works out when calculating the weight of gasoline!

To begin with, I would like to clarify what is meant by specific gravity (hereinafter referred to as SG) in physics and chemistry, and only then move on to the specific gravity of diesel fuel or, as it is also called, the specific gravity of diesel fuel.

Let's go over the theory.

Government standards applicable to gasoline

Car owners often wonder: within what limits should the density of gasoline be? As a rule, in the fuel used by the automotive industry, its value ranges from 700 to 780 kilograms per cubic meter. The characteristics and properties of the fuel depend on both the composition and density of the oil from which the product was produced. For example, aromatic compounds have a lower density than aliphatic ones. The parameter will fluctuate both up and down depending on the percentage of compounds included in the composition. Due to the fact that the density of fuel is not constant, experts have created tables from which it is easy to find out the permissible level of fuel density depending on storage conditions.

The oil industry is also regulated by state environmental standards. In Russia, since the beginning of 2015, GOST 32513-2013 has been in force, which sets the quality standard for modern gasoline with an octave number of at least 80 (AI-80). However, the issue of environmental protection and environmentally friendly transport is gaining new relevance every year. Consequently, at the state level, increasingly stringent requirements are being put forward for petroleum products. In 2016, the Russian Federation adopted EURO-5, a standard that regulates the percentage of heavy metals and benzene in gasoline.

Density of AI-92 gasoline

The octane number of AI-92 gasoline cannot be lower than 91. The fuel is used primarily in power units of passenger vehicles. It should appear transparent and clean. It is characterized by resistance to detonation, which is why car enthusiasts today purchase “92nd” gasoline for internal combustion engines of domestic and many imported car brands. The required parameter when measured at +15 degrees is equal to 725-780 km/m3.

Density of AI-95 gasoline

This gasoline is for cars imported from abroad. It is distinguished by high performance properties: during its production, manufacturers use technological components. The octane number should not be lower than 95. The value is measured at +15 Celsius. The standard density is 750+/-5 kg/m3.

Density of gasoline AI-100

One of the latest innovations is automobile fuel with an octane rating of 100. It is found at many gas stations, in particular at Lukoil gas stations. This is a product with additional Ecto additives. It is characterized by high performance properties and an equally high price. The standard density indicator is set in the range from 725 to 750 kg/m3 at standard +15 degrees.

AI 76 technical specifications

AI 76 gasoline was produced in accordance with GOST 2084 and had an octane number of at least 76. This grade of gasoline was widely used, since car engines of that time had a fairly simple design and did not have increased requirements for fuel quality. This brand of gasoline was widely used for both passenger cars and trucks and agricultural machinery. At the end of the 90s, with the development of automotive technology, AI 80 gasoline replaced AI 76 gasoline.

How to calculate the density of petroleum products

When there is no special device, then calculations should be made based on the information in the product passport and the indicators in the table of average temperature corrections. To obtain the necessary data, it is enough to perform the following basic calculations:

1. In the documentation we find its density indicator at +20 Celsius.
2. We measure the temperature of the product.
3. We calculate the difference between the obtained result and +20 Celsius.
4. Round the resulting value to a whole number.
5. In the table we find the correction for deviations in accordance with the passport value at +20 Celsius.
6. We calculate the product of the correction for the temperature difference.
7. We combine the result with the passport value of density at +20 or subtract it if the temperature is higher.

There is nothing complicated. All mathematical operations are a school curriculum; there is no need to resort to laboratory research.

Features of converting gasoline of different brands from liters to tons

To correctly carry out the calculation, you need to know the density values ​​​​of the required brand of petroleum product based on the table. It is best, of course, to take a fuel sample and measure the density of the fuel at a set temperature according to current standards.

On average, the density of fuel at 20 ºС is 0.75 g/l. Using the directory data and performing a simple calculation, we find that the volume of one ton of gasoline ranges from 1282 to 1429 liters.

To perform more accurate calculations, it is necessary to correct for temperature, because The density according to the standard in the reference books is indicated taking into account the temperature from plus 15 to plus 20 ºС. If the temperature is outside this range, a temperature correction must be taken into account.

Hydrocarbon Density

To accurately calculate the hydrocarbon density using these data at a given temperature, you will need average temperature correction data:

How to count:

1. From the gasoline passport we take the density of the fuel at a temperature of plus 20 oC.
2. Determine the average temperature of the fuel in the gas tank.
3. We calculate the difference between plus 20 oC and the average fuel temperature.
4. Using the temperature correction column, we find a correction of 1oC, which corresponds to the density of the selected fuel at plus 20oC.
5. We multiply the temperature correction by the temperature difference.
6. We subtract the number obtained in point 5 from the density value at plus 20 oC, if the average temperature of the fuel in the gas tank is higher than plus 20 oC. Or we add this number if the fuel temperature is below plus 20 oC.

For example, the density of gasoline at plus 20 oC from the gasoline passport is 0.801 g/cm3. The temperature of the fuel in the gas tank is plus 25 oC. From the table we take the density of the fuel at a given temperature. We get:

1. Temperature difference: 25 oC – 20 oC = 5 oC.
2. The temperature correction per 1 oC from the table for a density of 0.801 g/cm3 is equal to 0.765 * 10-3 g/cm3.
3. We calculate the correction for temperature by 5 oC: 0.765 * 10-3 * 5 = 0.003825 g/cm3, or approximately 0.0038 g/cm3.
4. We determine the required fuel density at a temperature of plus 25 oC (we subtract the correction, since the temperature of the fuel in the gas tank is higher than plus 20 oC): 0.801 - 0.0038 = 0.7972 g/cm3.

The question of how to correctly convert liters of gasoline into tons turned out to be not too difficult.

Afterword

What is the braking distance of a car and how to calculate it?

If we use non-oil resources as a source for obtaining fuel, then the prospects for both the environment and the very presence of the fuel and energy complex do not look as depressing as they currently are.

As alternatives, technologies for processing liquefied gases, vegetable oils from a number of non-food grades, ethyl alcohols, but most importantly, hydrogen, which does not leave behind CO and CO2, can be used.

A separate direction is the creation of economical and compact batteries and an electric motor working in tandem with them.

So far, the chemical improvement of gasoline is underway, the environmental requirements for it are being tightened, but, as a result, the price is increasing. That, coupled with the increase in the planet's population and the access of an increasing number of people on all continents to the benefits of civilization, which undoubtedly includes universal motorization, the prospects for the industry remain uncertain.

The state of affairs in the northern capital: which gas stations in St. Petersburg dispense high-quality gasoline and diesel

There are also quite a few gas stations here in different parts of the city, but the rating includes only those whose gasoline, in terms of octane number, best corresponds to its class. The amount of additives and foreign impurities was also taken into account. So, the situation with the rating is as follows:

• Shell.
• Gazpromneft.
• Lukoil.
• Neste.
• Tatneft.
• Kirishiautoservice.
• Rosneft.
• Phaeton Aero.
• PTK.

For the last decade, St. Petersburg has had a relatively stable structure of retail trade in automobile fuel. Only 50% of gas stations and 60% of sales belonged to large companies such as Lukoil, Surgutneftegaz, Gazpromneft, Rosneft, Tatneft. The rest of the market share was accounted for by independent companies (Phaeton, PTK, Neste, Shell), which bought fuel wholesale from the same giants.

In 2022, the situation in the region has changed noticeably. Almost the entire retail trade network ended up in vertically integrated oil companies (VIOCs), which combine production, refining and sale of petroleum products. Tatneft bought the entire Neste network, however, the external brand of the gas station remains for 5 years. PTK is now the property of Rosneft, the fate of the brand is still being decided.

As a result, vertically integrated oil companies in St. Petersburg own 79% of 480 gas stations. To some extent, changes in the market structure should affect the quality of gasoline at most gas stations in St. Petersburg, as well as throughout the Leningrad region.

Volumes in cooking

Liquids in cooking recipes are usually measured by volume. Bulk and dry products in the metric system, on the contrary, are measured by mass.

Tea spoon

The volume of a teaspoon is different in different measurement systems. Initially, one teaspoon was a quarter of a tablespoon, then - one third. It is the latter volume that is now used in the American measurement system. This is approximately 4.93 milliliters. In American dietetics, the size of a teaspoon is 5 milliliters. In the UK it is common to use 5.9 millilitres, but some diet guides and cookbooks use 5 millilitres. The size of a teaspoon used in cooking is usually standardized in each country, but different sizes of spoons are used for food.

Tablespoon

The volume of a tablespoon also varies depending on the geographic region. So, for example, in America, one tablespoon is three teaspoons, half an ounce, approximately 14.7 milliliters, or 1/16 of an American cup. Tablespoons in the UK, Canada, Japan, South Africa and New Zealand also contain three teaspoons. So, a metric tablespoon is 15 milliliters. A British tablespoon is 17.7 milliliters, if a teaspoon is 5.9, and 15 if a teaspoon is 5 milliliters. Australian tablespoon - ⅔ ounce, 4 teaspoons, or 20 milliliters.

Cup

As a measure of volume, cups are not defined as strictly as spoons. The volume of the cup can vary from 200 to 250 milliliters. A metric cup is 250 milliliters, and an American cup is slightly smaller, approximately 236.6 milliliters. In American dietetics, the volume of a cup is 240 milliliters. In Japan, cups are even smaller - only 200 milliliters.

Quarts and gallons

Gallons and quarts also have different sizes depending on the geographic region where they are used. In the Imperial system of measurement, one gallon is equal to 4.55 liters, and in the American system of measurements - 3.79 liters. Fuel is generally measured in gallons. A quart is equal to a quarter of a gallon and, accordingly, 1.1 liters in the American system, and approximately 1.14 liters in the Imperial system.

Pint

Pints ​​are used to measure beer even in countries where the pint is not used to measure other liquids. In the UK, milk and cider are measured in pints. A pint is equal to one-eighth of a gallon. Some other countries in the Commonwealth of Nations and Europe also use pints, but since they depend on the definition of a gallon, and a gallon has a different volume depending on the country, pints are also not the same everywhere. An imperial pint is approximately 568.2 milliliters, and an American pint is 473.2 milliliters.

Transition formula

It is known that body weight is found by arithmetic multiplying the volume of a petroleum product, measured in liters, and its density. Mass is understood as a physical quantity that characterizes the performance of a body: its inert and spatial properties in space.

Oil and diesel fuel in this case are determined using special density reference tables. For the final calculation of the mass of combustible fuel in tons, you can use a formula known from a school physics course.

m = V × ρ, where:

• m is the mass of the product, measured in kilograms;
• V is the volume of gasoline. Measured in cubic meters;
• ρ is the density of the substance. We determine it using special tables.

For calculations we use the generally accepted SI system. It is a worldwide system for measuring physical quantities. Also, do not forget to make the necessary conversions into units of measurement:

1. liters will need to be converted to cubic meters using the formula: 1 liter is 0.001 cubic meters. meters;
2. convert tons to kilograms, use the formula: 1 ton = 1000 kg.

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