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. J

    Oil temperature as a function of water temperature

    Hi imagine I have a sphere of silicone oil in a sealed metal container. I then fully submerge the container in a bath of ice and water. This is what I have done. The bath temperature remains at just below zero degrees. However the silicone oil temperature remains around 0.15degrees C. Despite...
  2. L

    Terminal Velocity and Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment

    Homework Statement Suppose I drop a ball from high enough in the sky that, at some point, it reaches terminal velocity. At this point, the ball is no longer accelerating. It is traveling at a constant velocity. Does this mean that at terminal velocity, the force of gravity on the ball is...
  3. Ascendant78

    Question regarding Millikan's oil drop experiment.

    My chemistry teacher recently explained the Millikan oil drop experiment to us. However, he rushes his lectures to the point where it is almost impossible to ask him questions. What I was wondering in regards to this experiment is why is the positive plate used in the experiment? I...
  4. M

    Oil and Gas Engineering

    Hi, I had come to a university hoping to study Petroleum Engineering but they said what they teach is Oil and Gas Engineering. Really I do not know more about the differences if there is because petroleum implies oil and gas. But, there should be a reason why it is called that way and not PE...
  5. P

    Can you grind peanuts without releasing oil? Curious about how plants store oil

    I know that some peanut doesn't have oil separation, but this is due to emulsifier chemicals that are added. I'm wondering what causes the oil to be released. I assume the storage structure is ruptured, and the oil molecules are consequently released. What exactly is a peanut? It's not a...
  6. J

    Convert Used Oil to Gasoline: Jonathan's Quest

    l am trying to use used oil to gasoline engine l make geet reactor to vaporized petrol diesel but no success to oil how can l convert used engine oils and food oils to gas or flammable liqiuds thanks jonathan
  7. T

    Is It Accurate to Measure the Elementary Charge with Just One Oil Drop?

    I completed the Millikan oil drop lab in class with as much accuracy as possible. I used the PASCO interface and used a very accurate Air pressure calibration. My final experimental charge of the electron derived from the equation in the lab was, 1.8 x 10 ^-19 C. When I turned in my lab, I was...
  8. C

    How is oil naturally pushed to the top of reservoirs?

    I am not talking about drive mechanisms used in oil extraction, like water or gas injection. I am referring simply to the fact that oil migrates to the top of reservoirs until it reaches an impermeable top layer that traps it. "A trap forms when the buoyancy forces driving the upward migration...
  9. D

    Oil and Gas Industry - Seeking Advice

    I am coming close (~1.5 years remaining) to finishing my undergraduate degrees (chemical/process engineering and finance), and have pretty much decided that I will work in the energy industry. I live in Australia, so there are definitely plenty of opportunities at the moment for me to find work...
  10. S

    Lubrication - is fine machine oil better ?

    Lubrication -- is fine machine oil "better"? So there is always a debate on gun forums over if lubricants marked for firearms are better then motor oil or cheaper automotive lubricants. I'm curious if anyone here has any hard information on the differences and what is better?
  11. B

    Magnitude of the charge on the oil drop

    1. An electrically charged macroscopic spherical oil drop of mass M=5.449x10^(-14) kg is released from rest between two electrically charged horizontal plates that produce a uniform electric field magnitude of E=1.667x10^6 N/C that is directed vertically upward. If, after release, the oil drop...
  12. B

    Oil Tank Analysis for Formula Student Car: Heat Transfer Calculations

    Hi Guys, This is for my university project.I need to design a oil tank for the formula student car.The first stage is the analysis of the existing stock oil tank (Aprilia SXV 550 is the engine).I need to find out the heat lost/transferred from the of the existing oil tank.How can I calculate...
  13. B

    Automotive Heat Transfer Calc for Oil Tank in Formula Student Car

    Hi Guys, This is for my university project.I need to design a oil tank for the formula student car.The first stage is the analysis of the existing stock oil tank (Aprilia SXV 550 is the engine).I need to find out the heat lost/transferred from the of the existing oil tank.How can I calculate...
  14. P

    A 6oz bottle of olive oil broke in my backpack how should I clean it?

    Is there a good way to remove oil from fabric? My backpack is really oily right now. Luckily nothing inside it was badly soiled, but I'm not sure how to get the oil out of the backpack fibers itself. Thanks!
  15. S

    Optics:thin oil film on water

    A scientist notices that an oil slick floating on water when viewed from above has many different rainbow colors reflecting off of the surface. She aims a spectrometer at a particular spot, and measures the wavelength to be 750 nanometers (in air). The index of refraction of water is 1.33 The...
  16. L

    Determination of elementary charge (Millikan Oil Droplet)

    In one experiment, Millikan found that the charge Q on a particular drop had the following values at various times. (An arbitrary unit is used) Q/A.U: 6.87 x 10-9 4.44 x 10-9 8.37 x 10-9 5.39 x 10-9 1.97 x 10-9 2.96 x 10-9 Use these results to find a value for the electron...
  17. W

    At What temperature will air get a larger kinematic viscosity than crude oil?

    Homework Statement At What temperature will air get a larger kinematic viscosity than crude oil? Please explain step by step. I believe we have compare the viscosity of air and the oil using the formula: kinematic viscosity = dynamic viscosity / density Homework Equations inematic...
  18. A

    Why the chamber for the Millikan Oil Drop experiment is so large?

    1. The question asks, why is the external chamber in the Millkan Oil Drop experiment so large? The Millikan Oil Drop is a classic experiment for determing the value of e, fundamental charge, on an electron. In my version of the experiment, I spraw droplets into an external chamber, and then...
  19. P

    Oil Formation Volume Factor at saturation conditions

    \check{}Homework Statement Given the following data I need to find the oil formation volume factor at the saturation conditions; A single flash separation of Angolan reservoir oil gave a stabilised (for stock tank) oil gravity of 37.19’ API and a gas gravity of 1.015. The GOR (gas oil...
  20. M

    Understanding Rotary Oil Pumps: Filling, Ballast, & Oil Pressure

    Hi everybody. I'm studying this kind of pumps right now but I'm finding a few difficulties trying to understand how it works... First of all i know it needs to be filled with oil, right?but totally or partially filled? When we start the pump the rotor starts spinning so it starts to evacuate...
  21. D

    Oil properties in setup of CFX

    Hi i am carrying out CFD analysis on a valve and i would like to use a material of OIL as the fluid body. i have already carried out simulations with water and air, can anyone tell me were i can find the properties of oil (ie density 918kg/m³) in the materials library as at the moment this...
  22. E

    Rate of heat transfer for a steel object in light oil

    Homework Statement I am required to conduct a thermal shock test where by a stainless steel object (complicated geometry) is to go from one tank of light oil at -55°C to another tank of the same light oil at +140°C, then back the -55°C tank. This is to be repeated 5000 times. In order to...
  23. C

    Solving Oil Drop Experiment: Calculate Largest e Value

    Homework Statement The values for the charges on oil drops are 3,99 6,65 2,66 10,64 3,99 and 9,31 all these multiplied with x10-19C. What is the largest value of the fundamental unit of charge that is consistent with the measured charges? Homework Equations Fundamental unit...
  24. S

    Solving Manometer Height: Oil & Water

    Homework Statement Consider a manometer with a glass bulb (Pgas=88kPa) at one end and which is open to the atmosphere (P =101 kPa) at the other. The manometer has two liquids oil and water in it, as shown. If the oil has a density of 823 kg/m3 and water a density of 1.00x10^3 kg/m3 find the...
  25. S

    What is the Process of Converting Plastic into Oil?

    Hi there, There are many videos that show people converting plastic into oil, then refining the oil into diesel, kerosine, and gasoline. I have a few questions about this particular video, 1) When the plastics turn into gas, what is the process called? Is it pyrolysis or gasification...
  26. C

    What's the coding job like in oil companies?

    For those who have worked in oil companies or finance companies as coders, are your work over there have more emphasize on algorithm design/analysis or class/library creation/maintenance? Forgive me if this is a stupid question as I don't have much experience in writing codes. And I understand...
  27. H

    Vertical Displacement of Electron (Millikan's Oil Drop)

    Homework Statement An electron moving horizontally at 2.50 x 106 m/s enters a 150 N/C electric field exactly half way between two horizontal parallel plates and follows a parabolic path downwards. Both plates are 14 cm long and spaced 10 cm apart. Determine the vertical displacement of the e-...
  28. Greg Bernhardt

    Automotive Honda recommends 0w 20 engine oil

    My new Civic recommends 0w 20, however it is a bit more expensive, especially if done at a dealership. Is there much difference between 0w 20 and 5w 20? I heard the only reason Honda uses 0w 20 is to meet the MPG guidelines.
  29. P

    Automotive Oil Change Frequency: How Often & Why?

    How often do you change the oil in your personal car, truck, or other transportation device? Why did you decide on that frequency? Do you do anything out of the ordinary to extend the frequency? (Special oil and/or filter?)
  30. C

    Physics Why would oil companies hire physicists?

    Why would major oil companies like Shell, Schlumberger and Exxon Mobil hire physics graduates and physicists? So I'll be starting my physics degree course this fall and I've heard plenty of people saying that a physics degree would definitely open doors to careers at oil companies. I don't...
  31. fluidistic

    Is cold-pressed olive oil the key to a truly flavorful experience?

    So I've been trying lots of different olive oils, all extra virgin so far (it's the most common olive oil here in Argentina). Usually they have a weak taste and for some of them, it's even hard to say I can really feel the olive taste. The other day I bought a 3 times less expensive than...
  32. T

    Finding the total production of oil given a rate.

    Homework Statement Oil is flowing from a well in a continuous stream at a rate of f(t) =54/(t + 3)^2 barrels per month (in multiples of 100). Find the total oil produced by the well in its second three months of operation. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution Answer choices are 300...
  33. M

    Finding Specific Heat of oil with an electric heating coil

    Homework Statement To determine the Specific heat of an oil , an electrical heating coil is placed in a calorimeter with 380g of the oil at 10C. The coil consumes energy(and gives off heat) at the rate of 84W. After 3min the oil temperature is 40C. If the water equivalent of the calorimeter...
  34. B

    Finding the voltage of an oil droplet, Millikan's experiment

    Homework Statement The density of the oil used to form droplets in the Millikan experiment is 9.20 × 102 kg/m3 and the radius of a typical oil droplet is 2.00 μm. When the horizontal plates are placed 18.0 mm apart, an oil drop, later determined to have an excess of three electrons, is held...
  35. H

    Fluid mechanics,wooden block in water and oil

    Homework Statement A cubical block of wood, 10 cm on a side, is placed in a glass cup whose higher end is open to the atmosphere. The wood is in equilibrium at the interface between water and oil with wood’s lower surface 2 cm below the interface. The density of oil is 790 kg/m3. a) What is the...
  36. G

    Determining Viscosity of Oil Using a Dropped Ball Experiment

    Homework Statement In an experiment to determine the viscosity of some oil, a ball is dropped into some oil. The position of the ball is given by the formula y=Y+At+Be-Ct. At t=0, y=0.070 m, the velocity dy/dt is 0 and the acceleration is 0.0983 m/s2. As t→∞ the velocity approaches 0.480 m/s...
  37. Pengwuino

    California Website suggesting new car oil change mileage

    So one of these noobsicles on facebook posted a link showing that California has a website up claiming that the 3,000 mile standard of changing your oil in your car is not correctly. So I decided to take a look. The website is here: http://www.checkyournumber.org/ My car, when run through...
  38. D

    Natural gas, Water, standard oil. say motor oil properties

    https://www.physicsforums.com/attachments/42263 https://www.physicsforums.com/attachments/42264 how we doing? i was just wondering does anyone have the properties of the following similar to the images attached.Natural gas, Water, standard oil. say motor oil properties.any oil properties...
  39. L

    Calculating viscosity force of oil between 2 surfaces

    I'm working on a project at work that requires some tribology/fluids calculations that I don't know if are applicable to me or not. For this scenario, one of the tests will require me to assume hydrodynamic lubrication where oil is completely separating the 2 surfaces. I have a sliding...
  40. M

    How to calculate pressure of a mixture of oil Reservoir fuids?

    1. Homework Statement Calculate reservoir pore volume in field units and initial gas in place for a formation with total bulk volume of 1E8 m^3. A sample of the reservoir gas mixture has 15 moles of CH4 (Tc = 191K),Pc = 46.1bar), 2 Moles C2H6 (Tc =306K, Pc = 48.8 bar) 3 Moles C3H8 (Tc = 370K...
  41. M

    How to calculate pressure of a mixture of oil Reservoir fuids?

    1. An oil reservoir with normal reservoir pressure at water oil contact (WOC of =12000ft) contains water, oil and gas columns of 800, 500 and 600 ft height respectively. Calculate reservoir pressure at WOC, gas oil contact (G0C) and depths of 12500, 11700 and 11000 ft? ρw = 1000 kg/m^3 ρo =...
  42. J

    Describe Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment

    How did he determine the mass of an oil drop and the charge of the electron?
  43. M

    Oil film thickness for total reflection 500nm

    Homework Statement I was asked to determin the film thickness for an oil film (n=1.33) for a light beam (500 nm) to give total reflection. I could calculate refraction angle for air to oil, but have no idea as to how to approach this question. Homework Equations The Attempt at a...
  44. N

    How will hydrophobic materials help in oil removal from water?

    Hello, I thought hydrophobic materials are materials which repel water? How will they help in removing oil from water? Thank you
  45. B

    What is the charge on the oil drop in Millikan's oil drop experiment?

    Homework Statement A 1.50x10-14 kg oil drop accelerates downwards at a rate of 1.80 m/s2 when placed between two horizontal plates that are 9.40 cm apart. The potential difference between the two plates is 980 V. Determine the magnitude of the charge on the oil drop. Homework Equations...
  46. F

    Efficient Hydraulic Motor for Reverse Operation: 500-3000psi

    Hi all :) Which oil hydraulic motor type is most efficient to use for a reverse operation? which means, instead of turning the motor to create oil pressure, you will actually use oil pressure to turn the motor. I am looking for a motor for an application producing variable pressure from...
  47. A

    Find the center of mass of a block of wood in oil

    A small square plank of oak floats in a beaker half full of water. The piece of oak is 7 cm on a side and 3 cm thick and floats on its side as shown in Figure P10.80. Density of oak 750kg/m^3 Density of water 1000kg/m^3 There were two parts to the problem, the first is: Find the location of the...
  48. L

    Oil Drop and Electric Field

    Homework Statement an oil drop carries six electronic charges, has a mass of 1.6 x 10^-12 g, has a mass of 1.6 X10^-12g, and falls with a terminal velocity in air. what magnitude of vertical electric field is required to make the drop move upward with the same speed as it was formerly moving...
  49. S

    Any truth to Peak Oil being a myth?

    Is there any truth to Peak Oil being a myth? Skeptics are claiming that oil is not made from previously living matter and therefore shouldn’t be considered a fossil fuel. They mention the deepest fossils ever discovered have been no more than 16,000 feet yet we drill for oil in depths much...
  50. S

    Millikan oil drop experiment lab help

    Homework Statement I'm doing Millikan's oil drop experiment in a lab. I've got a set of measurements and all that, but in analysis of the data I can't seem to get values for the charges on individual drops that seem reasonable. I find that each drop is carrying between 10 and 300 elementary...
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