[Video] ...What IS gasoline? What's it made of? [Locked to Gunmax/Deckerd/McCrane/Brave Police]

[not_halfbaked]

 In my world, I know it can make Satomobiles or cars and Satocycles and mopeds move...but that's it.

I never thought about what makes it up.

So...what's inside it?

And, huh, where does gas normally come from anyway?  I think it has to be put into vehicles, right?  So then it must come from somewhere else...?

Comments

[mccrane]

((OKAY I did further research on gasoline, which it turns out is mostly a bunch of hydrocarbons as I suspected. As such, the only 'earth' within it is the carbon itself, as its refined so much from crude oil that its almost entirely manufactured these days. However, depending on how long it has been sitting in the cars, she might be able to coax it out anyhow if there are some impurities. Gah. x-x Its complicated. I'm gonna bet it'll be possible, due to carbon presence, but that it will also be very difficult. STILL worth it for her to try, though!))

Well...yes and no.

[He looks at you for a long moment, considering.]

How much do you really want to know about the composition of gasoline, Korra?

[not_halfbaked]

(OOC: Nice research!)

Hit me with your best shot, McCrane. I want to see how much info will actually sink in.

[mccrane]

Very well.

[He pauses, as if taking a deep breath.]

Gasoline is formed of Hydrocarbons, which are chemical compounds resulting from the elements Hydrogen and Carbon bonding to each other. There are several structures of hydrocarbons that go into the average blend...such as alkenes and alkanes and cycloalkanes, but the source of the carbon itself is probably what you are interested in.

[He has a great deal of technical knowledge on hand. It was often his responsibility to contact scientific agencies when there were particularly complex crimes, which meant he needed to have a basis on where to begin. Deckerd was also good, but Deckerd tended to spend a lot of time researching when he wasn't on duty, in case something came up. He appreciated that.]

The alkanes in gasoline can be refined out of crude oil, which comes from the crushed and pressurized remnants of tiny creatures which died out millions of years ago.

However, since there is so much separation taking place, I'm not sure what qualifies as 'Earth' within the gasoline.

[He also doesn't know how exactly the alkanes are filtered out. There's a process to it, though.]

[not_halfbaked]

...Okay, what are these: hydrogen, carbon, alkenes, alkanes--what? [Korra is so confused.]

(OOC: Korra's definitely not the scientific type, though I don't know how much science has progressed chemistry-wise in "Avatar" world, though I imagine it's actually a lot. But again, I don't think Korra would know.)

[mccrane]

They are...

Hm.

Do you know what an element is? Or a molecular compound?

((She was pretty sheltered, so it makes sense to me! Please feel free to completely misinterpret element, also.))

[not_halfbaked]

Aren't the elements earth, fire, air, water? ...At least they are in my world.

Um, 'molecular compound?' No, I don't--what is it?

(OOC: Don't mind if I do! And yes, Korra was super sheltered.)