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. KevinMWHM

    Gulf Oil Spill Impact: Sharks & Seals Moving North?

    Though purely anecdotal, I have noticed a larger amount of shark sightings further up the East Coast then I am used to. Specifically, from the inlet of Long Island Sound up to Cape Cod. Obviously I have heard of more sightings of their prey too, more seals for example. Could the Gulf oil...
  2. Evo

    News Oil spill area coming back to life

    This is great news! Mother nature has a remarkable ability to spring back. This is very happy news for the fishing and tourism industry in Louisiana. http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/271969/oil-spill-area-coming-back-life
  3. Evo

    News Gulf Oil Spill Disappearance: Microbes Eat Up the Oil

    Where's the oil? Reminds me of the huge Ixtaca oil spill that also disappeared. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews_excl/ynews_excl_sc3270
  4. D

    What Are the Goals and Objectives of the X Prize for Oil Cleanup Challenge?

    just out: What: Press Conference to Launch the Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X CHALLENGE When: Thursday, July 29, 2010 --- 1:00 PM (ET) Noon (CT) 10:00 AM (PT) Where: National Press Club - Holeman Lounge 529 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC LIVE WEBCAST...
  5. C

    Calculating Energy Required to Pump Oil in Steel Pipe

    Homework Statement An oil having a density of 833 kg/m^3 and a viscosity of 3.3*10^-3 Pa.s is pumped from an open tank to a pressurized tank held at 345 kPa gage. The oil is pumped from an inlet at the side of the open tank through a line of commercial steel pipe having an inside diameter of...
  6. C

    Acura's Ferromagnetic Oil: Fact or Fiction?

    I searched around the forum and found no mention of this so I figured I'd bring it up. Acura has been airing these commercials ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnZ4EyKrLAI" ) that claim to use a ferromagnetic liquid instead of oil and then claim that it improves handling. Is any of this true...
  7. H

    News Pictures of the damage from the BP oil spill

    I think I read a post on this forum about the lack of pictures of damage from the BP oil spill. I found this site today and wanted to share it. Edit by Evo: Sorry, that's not an approriate link. It contains misinformation worded to create fear mongering.
  8. russ_watters

    News Gulf Oil Production Moving to Africa

    It has now become less politically/economically risky to drill deep for oil off the coast of Africa than off the coast of the US: http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/540265/201007131904/Idled-Gulf-Rigs-Head-For-Africa.aspx My dad read about this in a chemical engineering...
  9. DaveC426913

    Oil shortens lifespan of halogen bulbs?

    A brazillion years ago, I was taught not to handle the bulbs used in projectors under the rationale that the oil from your hands ends up on the bulb, causing overheating and shortening the lifespan of the bulb. I've generalized this to other hot bulbs such as the little 10, 20 and 50W...
  10. M

    How to read the oil spill monitor?

    Hello all, I'm watching a live feed of the monitor that BP has set up. At the top it says "MSV SCANDI NEPTUNE" (I understand NEPTUNE is a name) and "E: 1202757.5" (fluctuates) and "D: 4985" and "Herc: 06" and "Hdg: 76.44." What does this all mean? Thanks.
  11. M

    Impact of recession and oil price increase

    Hi I was just wondering if anyone could please help me, I was just wondering what would happen to the supply curve if; 1. There was a recession. 2. And if oil prices increases. what would cause the supply curve to shift? thanks heaps for your help Mel
  12. C

    Optimizing Heat Transfer: Oil Bath Heat Exchanger for Water Bath Heating

    I have an oil bath that has a jacketed heat exchanger I wish to use to heat another water bath. The temperature of the oil bath is 100 C and the water bath temperature I require is 54 C. My question is will this be either too much heat or not enough. My basic design is to use a thermistor...
  13. L

    Natural preservatives. vinegar, alcohol, sugar, salt, oil.

    there are a lot of natural preservatives. vinegar, alcohol, sugar, salt, oil. what is the best? Is there any predominant research about this topic?
  14. C

    Robert Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment

    when Robert Millikan did the oil drop experiment to measure the charge of an electron . they balanced the gravitational force of the oil drop with the electric field . did they use F=qE , did they know how many electrons were in their oil drops .
  15. A

    Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Are humans not so smart?

    Well another great environment catastrophere, the profit seeking, inhuman company, probably buy some killers to kill environment activist(like many in my country do) , the government that is kneel to corporations and capitalist, the public that really doesent matter, especially in a nation that...
  16. Loren Booda

    Can an oil spill cause cancers?

    From what I have read: Tar causes cancer in road crews and smokers, gasoline causes leukemia in neighbors to gas stations and petroleum plants, benzene causes bladder cancer and leukemia in rubber workers - how about the BP bio-poisoning?
  17. Cyrus

    News Iraq War Sanctions: Tracing Money and Oil

    Im having a discussion with someone about sanctions leading up to the war in Iraq. I was wondering if anyone could give me a source which shows where the money went in that program (corruption), and what country the Iraqi oil went to.
  18. estro

    The Day After Oil: Alternatives and Solutions

    Its not a secret that the human race runs on 3 essential liquids; water, beer and oil. Mother nature gifts us the first, we know how to cook the second but the third is somewhat problematic. What alternatives we have now, nuclear power for electricity? But what will happen in the transportation...
  19. J

    Hydrodynamics (related to the oil leak in the Gulf)

    Ok here's a basic idea that I read somewhere else. See the attached image. Basically, its a pipe with inflatable "tires" surrounding it, that will be inserted into the well, and then the "tires" pumped full of hydrolic fluid. Hopefully capping the well, while still being able to retrieve oil...
  20. X

    What is the approximate diameter of an oil molecule?

    You can obtain a rough estimate of the size of a molecule with the following simple experiment: Let a droplet of oil spread out on a fairly large but smooth water surface. The resulting ”oil slick” that forms on the surface of the water will be approximately one molecule thick. Given an oil...
  21. P

    Oil spill: Water pressure VS. oil pressure

    Hello all, It's my first post. I'm french Canadian so I may make grammar mistakes in English :-) This is a question I'm asking me since yesterday. It's about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil and gases are less dense than the salted water. The breach is at about 1500 meters...
  22. J

    How to follow precisely next fix to oil spill?

    Hey guys, any of you interested in following precisely the next step in BP's attempt to fix the oil leak in the Gulf? I'd be interested in "exactly" what they're planning. However, I'm not familiar with the sub-sea design. For example, I assume there is a 20" well bore below the sea bed...
  23. W

    Fixing the Gulf oil spill problem

    It seems to me that BP's first idea of putting a big funnel over the top of the leak was a good start, they just didn't expect so much methane hydrate slush to clog the funnel. What they need to do is to build a simple heat exchanger inside the funnel and pump warm Gulf water through it to...
  24. B

    Frustum Pyramid Volume to Design Oil Containment System

    I have attached a word document showing an image and some typed out simple calculations. I am working on an oil containment system for a new building my employer is going to be building soon. Its pretty simple in the middle of the floor we put a catch basin with a 24"x24" grate. This catch...
  25. R

    What Would Happen if a Hurricane Hit the Gulf Oil Spill?

    What would happen if a hurricane swept through the gulf over the area of the spill? How would the oil effect water temp., which contributes to hurricane strength? Would a hurricane pick-up and disperse the oil inland if it made land-fall?...or would a hurricane basically spread the oil out so...
  26. F

    Nuclear physics and the oil spill.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/7726142/Barack-Obama-sends-nuclear-experts-to-tackle-BPs-Gulf-of-Mexico-oil-leak.html I don't know a damn thing about nuclear physics so can anyone shed some light here? How does this apply to nuclear physics? What are some of...
  27. I

    News Gulf Oil Spill: Live Feed Now Released

    http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/19/gulf.oil.spill/index.html now we will also be getting a live feed, per congressional demand, and this is now BP's "new hope": Top-Kill, not to be confused with the Top Hat, Large containment structure, Junk Shot... and so forth. Sen. Bill Nelson and...
  28. G

    Oil Spill Density: Answers to Questions

    this oil leak in the Gulf has got me wondering about a few things. There are a lot of questions being asked and the only answers seem vague and uninformed. I'm new here so bear with me as I learn the etiquette. My primary question is why is this oil staying near the bottom when its STP...
  29. russ_watters

    Gulf Oil Spill Velocimetry-Based Flow Rate Estimate

    In the thread in P&WA on the issue of the oil spill, I expressed my skepticism that the rate of the spill could be accurately measured via analysis of underwater video clips. That skepticism was strengthened by the recent statement by Prof Steven Wereley, the originator of the first such...
  30. J

    Why does oil show so many colors?

    I noticed that when i was working on my car today that when i spilled oil on the ground in the sun it looked as if it had a bunch of colors in it. I know that used oil is black and black absorbs light. So why does it show all of these colors?
  31. Z

    Determining Mass of Individual Objects in Bags - Oil, Candy, Millikan?

    hello everyone, we have to design a procedure to determine the mass of an individual object inside a bag which is filled with many of these identical objects ( one kind) For ex. Bag 1; mass = 435.6, filled with candy- find mass of individual candy. we have: 10 bags of one candy 10...
  32. C

    Fuel Consumed by Oil Refineries

    Hi everyone, I was looking at some data from the Energy Information Association (http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/mecs/mecs2006/pdf/Table3_2.pdf\) about the fuel used by different industrial processes. Under the industry of "Petroleum Refining," there is a bit of natural gas and electricity used...
  33. C

    Calculating Iodine Number and Structure of Oil

    Hi, I understand that the iodine number is the number of moles of iodine reacting with one mole of fat/oil which indicates the number of double bonds present in the fat/oil molecule. However I am having trouble calculating them. Can someone show me how to solve the following question...
  34. I

    Deducing the Elementary Charge from Milikan's Oil Drop Experiments

    Homework Statement 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...
  35. E

    Gradient and curl of an oil spill be?

    could someone please help me? what would the divergence, gradient and curl of an oil spill be? I'm a bit confused. Thank you
  36. M

    Freezing in the gulf oil pipeline

    I was wondering if someone could explain how ice crystals are being formed in the tank/pipeline BP is trying to use to stem the flood of oil pumping into the ocean. A friend and me were discussing it and a few questions came to mind about it, not just related to this issue. He suggested that...
  37. T

    Gulf Oil Leak: Explaining Pressure & Calculation

    Can someone explain why with the tremendous pressure of- is it 5000 ft. of water-pushing down that oil can still leak out? I guess the oil pressure must be greater. How do you calculate the water pressure at that depth on the broken pipe. If the pipe is say one foot diameter would you figure...
  38. D

    Alternative for Mineral Oil on Bread Boards

    I have made some bread boards out of hardwood & heard to preserve them you coat with Mineral oil. I can't find any locally & was hoping there is something else i can use?
  39. Borek

    Intelligent Oil: Benefits & Uses

    "intelligent" oil https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXgP8rq_wfA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPMHjDzpOVg
  40. MotoH

    News Offshore oil drilling is safe?

    You would think they could stop the oil flowing instantly after a massive explosion ripped through a rig! Seriously now Ivan, come on. Edit by Ivan: Very strange. Somehow I accidently moved this post to the wrong position. This post should be the second in this thread. the #2 post should...
  41. L

    Density of Object & Oil: Find Out Now!

    Homework Statement An object weighs 285 N in the air. When tied to a string, connected to a balance, and immersed in water, it weighs 230 N. When it is immersed in oil, it weighs 261 N. (a) Find the density of the object. (b) Find the density of the oil. Homework Equations...
  42. M

    Tomato, Salt Water & Olive Oil - Buoyancy

    Homework Statement 1. You put a tomato into a vessel of salty water - it floats. Now you pour olive oil into the same vessel. Which one of the following statements is true? a. More of the tomato will be above the surface of the water. b. The tomato will stay at the same height. c. Less of...
  43. H

    Tomato, Salt water and Olive oil

    Homework Statement You put a tomato into a vessel of salty water - it floats. Now you pour olive oil into the same vessel. Which one of the following statements is true? a)Less of the tomato will be above the surface of the water. b) The tomato will stay at the same height. c) More of...
  44. C

    Estimating Delta(g)/g for a 1.00 km Diameter Spherical Pocket of Oil

    1. Homework Statement : The center of a 1.00 km diameter spherical pocket of oil is 1.20 km beneath the Earth's surface. Estimate by what percentage g directly above the pocket of oil would differ from the expected value of g for a uniform Earth? Assume the density of oil is 8.0*10^2 (kg/m^3)...
  45. G

    Removing Oil from Rotary Oil Pumps: Effects Explained

    Hello everyone, i had one doubt in my mind regarding Rotary oil pump. The Question is what would happen if we remove oil from the Rotary oil pump. What would be its effects? Please Reply Regards Gagan Sharma :confused:
  46. Shackleford

    Physics Getting into oil and gas with a physics degree with no geophysics courses?

    Is that possible? UH offers a physics degree BS with geophysics specialization. I looked at doing that a while back but decided against it. With just a BS Physics, could I get into oil and gas/energy? If so, what kinds of jobs would I be doing? I live outside of Houston, btw.
  47. S

    Fractional distillation of crude oil

    Homework Statement What fractions of crude oil would be distilled off, if you did the fractional distillation of crude oil in a lab? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I think light petroleum and light naphtha, but I am not sure.
  48. A

    Millikan oil drop experiment potential difference

    Homework Statement in a Millikan oil drop experiment, a uniform electric filed of 1.92 x 10^5 N/C is maintained in a region between two plates separated by 1.5 cm. Find the potential difference between the plates. Homework Equations mg = q x E The Attempt at a Solution in order to...
  49. A

    Does adding oil on wood increase its calorific value?

    In normal conditions, it takes a long time for wood to burn. But if you add some oil (or something similar like butter) it tends to burn faster. So, does adding such additives increase the calorific value? What makes the wood burn faster? Is the "faster" burning of wood and calorific value...
  50. R

    Calculating Electric Fields of Oil - Is My Equation Correct?

    Homework Statement I am looking to calculate the horizontal and vertical components of an electric field at the point of the oil drop can someone tell me if I am on the correct tracks by using the following equation. Homework Equations E=kQ/r2 The Attempt at a Solution
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