What is Oil: Definition and 575 Discussions

An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is a viscous liquid at ambient temperatures and is both hydrophobic (does not mix with water, literally "water fearing") and lipophilic (mixes with other oils, literally "fat loving"). Oils have a high carbon and hydrogen content and are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated lipids that are liquid at room temperature.
The general definition of oil includes classes of chemical compounds that may be otherwise unrelated in structure, properties, and uses. Oils may be animal, vegetable, or petrochemical in origin, and may be volatile or non-volatile. They are used for food (e.g., olive oil), fuel (e.g., heating oil), medical purposes (e.g., mineral oil), lubrication (e.g. motor oil), and the manufacture of many types of paints, plastics, and other materials. Specially prepared oils are used in some religious ceremonies and rituals as purifying agents.

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  1. W

    Stiochiometric air-to-fuel ratio for heavy fuel oil

    what is the stiochiometric air-to-fuel ratio for heavy fuel oil? i need it to calculate the enthalpy of gas fromheavy fuel oil firing .
  2. M

    What material is best for cleaning an oil spill

    I am doing a science project to determine what material is best at cleaning up an oil spill in the ocean. I plan to simulate the ocean and use motor oil. I am trying to do something similar to Exxon Valdes
  3. F

    The party's over: peak oil has distracted us from peak helium

    :-p http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2007/09/26/helium-shortage.html
  4. V

    Viscosity 5W-30 Oil - Is It Correct?

    Hi guys, For a prac we did, we are given the properties of a particular oil. Density (kg/m^3) = 876 Viscosity (Ns/m^2) = 20.0x10^(-3) I believe it is the dynamic viscosity. Now is this viscosity correct? Or should it be 2.0x10^(-3)
  5. C

    Anyone still believe peak oil will not happen?

    About 200 days ago i made a thread on this forum about peak oil the thread was called hubbert peak. in that post i asked if you realized that peak oil was coming and got by and large a negative response. things like "no peak oil is myth" and "we will find other energy sources" i...
  6. Ivan Seeking

    Biofuels Industry: Achieved Goal of Algae Oil by Labor Day

    For those of you who know about my efforts to join the biofuels industry, we did in fact have algae oil by Labor Day, which was the goal this summer. One of my short cuts failed so for now we only got a few grams extracted, with the rest still in the algae, but a number of tests seem to confirm...
  7. J

    How can soybean oil be vulcanized?

    Does anyone know of any chemicals that will vulcanize soybean oil? I only know of two chemicals at the moment- Magnesium oxide, and sulfur. I have tried these chemicals and they do work. The one made with magesium oxide is very shapeable and deforms into a blob if left alone.
  8. mbrmbrg

    Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment

    My chemistry professor was discussing Milikan's oil drop experiment today, and she said that he determined the mass of the oil drop by measuring its speed as it fell. (I found this further description online) If that's the case, why doesn't air resistence appear in the equation Eq=mg from which...
  9. J

    Can Elderberry Leaves Color Oils and Fats and Act as a Mosquito Repellent?

    I found that the leaves of the elderberry tree (Sambucus nigra) can be used to add a green coloring to oils and fats, among other things, is this claim true? http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Sambucus+nigra" Also what compound in the edible berries makes it a good pH indicator (red=acid...
  10. C

    Is the World Approaching the Inevitable Hubbert's Peak of Oil Production?

    In 1956, Hubbert proposed that fossil fuel production in a given region over time would follow a bell-shaped curve without giving a precise formula; he later used the Hubbert curve, the derivative of the logistic curve, for estimating future production. Hubbert assumed that after fossil fuel...
  11. L

    Elementary Charge / Oil Drop clarification

    In an early set of experiments, Milikan observed that the following measure charges, among others, appeared at different times on a single oil drop. What value of elementary charge can be deduced from these data? 1) 6.563 x 10^-19 C 2) 8.204 x 10^-19 C 3) 11.50 x 10^-19 C 4) 13.13 x 10^-19...
  12. M

    Good old question about buoyancy and riser in oil industry

    Hi I've got a scenario and would like a confirmation or rejection on it's correctness. If i lower a steel riser (for simplicity it is 3000 m and vertical, open ended, cylindrical steel pipe, completely flush) into drilling mud (assume water) the surface weight would be the steel weight in...
  13. C

    Deriving Velocity Profiles for Flow of Oil Down Glass Rod

    I am having a huge problem with understanding the derivation of velocity profiles for these type of problems. The one i am having the most difficulty is the flow of oil going down vertically along the surface of a glass rod. Where p=900 kg/m^3 and u=120 mPa's. How do I start this problem?
  14. I

    Optics - Refracting light on film oil

    Hi i was going through some of my physics past papers to prepare for exams, when i came across this question A film of oil of refractive index 1.45 rests on a flat piece of glass of refractive index 1.6. When illuminated by white light at normal incidence, light of wavelengths 690 nm and 460...
  15. Ivan Seeking

    News Is the government turning a blind eye to the corruption of big oil companies?

    http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/319/index.html A case of big oil and a corrupt government being held accountable? I hope this guy blows the lid off of this business.
  16. K

    How Does a Positively Charged Oil Drop Behave in a Uniform Electric Field?

    A positively charged oil drop is injected into a region of uniform electric field between two oppositely charged, horizontally oriented plates. If the electric force on the drop is found to be 8.60 × 10−16 N and the electric field magnitude is 153 V/m, what is the magnitude of the charge on the...
  17. W

    Oil and Water: Investigating Buoyancy and Non-Mixable Liquids

    I have 2 liquids, Oil and water together in the beaker. Assuming both liquids are non mixable I push a block into the water and it floats at halfway between the Oil and the water See the attachment and please help me I'm stuck and passing the class depend on this particular problem ...
  18. J

    Wavelength of visible light under a oil leak

    A disabled tanker leaks kerosene (n=1.2) into the Persian Gulf, creating a large slick on the top of water (n=1.3). If you are scuba diving directly under the region of the slick, whose thickness is 460nm, while the Sun is overhead, for which wavelength(s) of visible light is the transmitted...
  19. K

    Magnitude of charge on oil drop (electric field)

    A positively charged oil drop of mass 1.00 × 10−15 kg is placed in the region of a uniform electric field between two oppositely charged, horizontal plates. The drop is found to remain stationary under the influence of the Earth's gravitational field and the uniform electric field of 0.680 × 104...
  20. P

    Oil Hydraulic manual download link

    Hi Friends! Can anybody tell me the download link for "Sperry Vickers Hydraulic Manual" dealing (oil) Hydraulic valves, actuators, pumps etc? Or any equivalent manual from Rexroth or any. Please! Thanks & Regards. P.Ramesh
  21. C

    Millikan's oil drop experiment

    Homework Statement hello, our task was to go on to this site http://www.wcsyearbooks.com/millikan/experiment.html and then figure out the charge and the number of excess electrons on the oil drop using 5 electric fields. Electric field: 2.7x10^4, 3.1x10^4, 3.6x10^4, 4.0x10^4 and 5.2x10^4...
  22. M

    Removing oil aerosols(mist) from compressed air

    Hello! My process looks like this: i've oil container with constant vacuum of 3-10 mbar for removing oil aerosols from container.that vacuum is produced by ejector(vacuum pump) down the line in which goes air at 6 bar.oil aerosols then together with air goes to atmosphere. what I'm trying to...
  23. M

    Calculating Oil Level Increase in a Filled Cylinder Tank - Formula and Solution

    Homework Statement A tank with oil has the shape of a straight circular cylinder. Its diameter is 1.24 m and its height is 2.44 m. The tank lies on one side so that the circular base surfaces is at a right angle to the horizontal plane. It is filled with 0.0045 m3 per second. How fast does the...
  24. J

    What is a sulfurized vegetable oil and how is it made?

    One time I made an oil that burned cooler than normal (or so I think) and has a persistent flame (in light wind it would not go out when a candle flame would). Burns better than Regular canola oil. I made it by melting sulphur in the bottom of a metal dish then pouring canola oil on top then...
  25. D

    Why Does the U.S. Allow T.V. Snake Oil Sellers While Other Countries Ban Them?

    How is it possible that the United States is about the only country that allows these drug ("snake oil sellers) advertisements on T. V.? They are of insignificant value to the general viewer. How do other countries ban such a nuisance. I would suggest that we contact these T. V. stations and...
  26. E

    Explaining the Immiscibility of Oil and Water: A Thermodynamic Perspective

    If water and vegetable oil are added to a bowl, they do not mix. If gasoline and vegetable oil are added in another bowl, they _do_ mix. this has something to do with the polarity of the molecules, i.e. water is polar and gasoline and vegetable oil are unpolar. But is it possible to...
  27. G

    Abiotic oil theory vs fossil fuel theory

    So I'm starting to read up on some of this stuff on the internet but most the argument counterargument seems to be from the same sources Gold vs peak oil theorist. Is this debate so far concluded in academics that no research is being published in journals? What is the curret status of the...
  28. T

    Heat transfer from water to oil

    ok, this is more of a question of theory than actual calculation. Me and my friends did a physics lab on heat transfer vs. surface area of contact. We used water and oil (since oil will float above the water and creating a surface of contact). We heated the water to ~50 degrees C and oil was...
  29. A

    What is the absolute viscosity of the medium lubricating oil in N×s/m2?

    Homework Statement Medium lubricating oil, of specific gravity 0.860, is pumped through 300 m of horizontal 50-mm-diameter pipe at the rate of 0.00114 m3/s. If the drop in the pressure is 200 kPa, the absolute viscosity of the oil in N×s/m2 is...____________? specific gravity (SG) = 0.86...
  30. B

    Does Synthetic Oil Offer Better Engine Protection Due to Its Lighter Weight?

    We have read that synthetic oil protects and preserves internal combustion engines much better than does natural petroleum. I have proven that to myself over many years in my own vehicles. A question first came to mind the last time I bought synthetic oil...I noticed that it is so much lighter...
  31. J

    Related Rates and an Oil Slick

    A ruptured oil tanker causes a circular oil slick on the surface of the ocean. When its radius is 150 meters, the radius of the slick is expanding by 0.1 meter/minute and its thickness is 0.02 meter. At that moment: (a) How fast is the area of the slick expanding? (b) The circular slick...
  32. P

    Buoyant force: wooden block in oil and water

    So there's a wooden block floating on water in such way that 78% of the block is submerged in water. Now oil (with density of 700 kg/m^3) is poured on top so that the wooden block is wholly covered by the oil. Now how much of the block is submerged in water? (Hint: do not ignore the buoyant...
  33. M

    Formula for Heavy Paraffinic Base Oil ?

    Formula for "Heavy Paraffinic Base Oil"? Is there a chemical formula for "Heavy Paraffinic Base Oil"? (like the base oil in motor oil) Or is it made up of other compounds and that's why I can't find a formula for it.? If so than I need to give a full description of the chemical with a formula...
  34. M

    What chemicals are in generic 2 cycle motor oil?

    Does anyone have a list of the specific chemicals that are in off the shelf generic 2 cycle oils? Much appriciation if someone can give me an accurate list. Willing to compensate for an accurate list of chemicals and their chemical formulas.
  35. S

    Does Steel Have Molecules? An Explanation of the Complex Structure of Steel

    Hi all, i am new here, There is a person at Bladeforums rubbing oil on an expensive damascus blade knife. He stated that he gets a black substance appearing in the oil. I think that the steel is being broken down at the molecular level. A phd. in molecular physics stated that steel has no...
  36. A

    Manometer Oil Problem: How to Calculate Water Level Difference | Expert Help

    Dear all, would anyone be able to help me with the following problem In the manometer shown in the figure, the reservoir diameters are 50 mm and the tube diameters are 10 mm. The upper fluid is an oil of density 850 kg/m3, and the lower fluid (hatched) is water. Initially the levels of oil...
  37. D

    Comparing Ethanol and Hydrogen as Alternatives to Oil

    I was just wondering (with all the oil supposedly running out) how feasible is running our internal combusion engines on ethanol as apposed to say hydrogen? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each. Seeing as ethanol would require a massive increase in the amount of farmland for...
  38. O

    Waste Vegetable Oil produced by the kitchen

    Hello all, I have been bitten by the bug of taking the Waste Vegetable Oil produced by the kitchen at the school where I teach Physical Science and reforming it into BioDiesel. I have spent the last two days absorbing what I can find on the net. All the recipies use lots of alcohol...
  39. B

    Forces acting on charged oil drops

    Hi guys. I'm a new member, just joined today. I've been looking for the answer to the following question for hours, but am unable to do so. Please try to help ASAP! Thanx a million. The question is: When a small sphere moves through the air with a low speed v it experiences a resitive force...
  40. J

    Oil Replacements: What Will Power the Future? (Percentages)

    Name the replacements for oil and next to them what percentage you believe they'll come to represent as energy of the future.
  41. H

    Oil Leakage Detection: Gamma vs Beta Rays

    In industry, do you use gamma ray or beta ray to detect oil leakage?
  42. ?

    Thermodynamis - oil pump efficiency?

    Hi guys, could someone help me on this? I'm stuck :( *A motor draws 35kW electricity, it operates at 90% efficiency. The motor is connected to an oil pump which has an inlet diameter of 8cm & an outlet diameter of 12cm. pressure rise in the oil pump is 400kPa. oil enters the pump at 0.1m^3/s...
  43. ?

    Thermodynamics oil pump efficiency question

    Hi guys, could someone help me on this? I'm stuck :( *A motor draws 35kW electricity, it operates at 90% efficiency. The motor is connected to an oil pump which has an inlet diameter of 8cm & an outlet diameter of 12cm. pressure rise in the oil pump is 400kPa. oil enters the pump at 0.1m^3/s...
  44. A

    Millikan's oil drop experiment homework

    Hi everyone I'm stuck with a few questions hopefully I can get some assistance. 1) A student repeating Millikan's oil drop experiment to measure electronic charge used an incorrectly calibrated voltmeter and obtained the following values for charges on the drops: Charges on drop / 10^-19C...
  45. Ivan Seeking

    News I think energy independence is going too far - Shell Oil

    "I think energy independence is going too far" - Shell Oil http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13296235/page/5/ I think it is clear that this is not who we need making the calls for what's good for the US. Energy needs to be taken out of the hands of big oil...
  46. M

    Calculating Mass of Oil in Cylindrical Core

    Hi everybody, didn't really know where to put this thread since it's physics using math, so I'm sorry if it's not in its appropriate place. My problem is: I need to compute the mass of oil in a cylindrical core put into a core holder.it's partially filled of oil. I didn't know how to...
  47. A

    Why did Millikan use terminal velocity in his oil experiment?

    My question is that why did Millikan allow the oil drop to fall in terminal velocity and thus solving for the radius of the oil drop to find its mass eventually and not using a microscope to measure the oil drop's radius? This is one part of my tutorial question and I really have no idea...
  48. Ivan Seeking

    News What is happening to the Iraqi oil money?

    I was wondering about this and haven't had the chance to look into it. Who is getting the money from the Iraqi oil sold? They are supposed to be at ~50% of pre-war production levels. And who is monitoring oil production and sales?
  49. F

    The Impending Oil Crisis: Is It Already Here?

    Hello everyone, as you may well know gas prices are high and will probably remain high for a little while. Yet, there is one thing people rarely talk about and that is that oil is a non renewable resource and there is only a finite amount left in the earth. In the long run gas prices will...
  50. G

    Thermostatically controlled oil filled radiator than an electric fan h

    I was reading a discussion about heaters on another forum ages ago, one person claimed that there is a large difference in cost when running a thermostatically controlled oil filled radiator than an electric fan heater. Another person told him to contact the Institute of Physics and inform them...
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