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. P

    Can Hydrophobic Surfaces Repel Both Water and Oil?

    Hello, I have a quick question regarding an http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/38466/title/Blueprint_to_repel_oil_and_water" that I just read on ScienceNews regarding hydrophobic surfaces. In the second to last paragraph it's quoted that "although hydrophobic surfaces readily shed...
  2. E

    As CO2-GWD, how does nuclear compares to natural gas and oil?

    As a CO2-global warming denier (GWD), how nuclear power generation compare to natural gas and oil carbon fuels, in start up costs, long term costs, pollution, operating costs? Is there any reason natural gas and oil fossil fuels can not meet projected energy needs, besides the allegation of...
  3. Battlemage!

    Millikan Oil Drop Experiment

    Homework Statement If the charge to mass ratio of a particle, e/m, is known derive a formula to find m, and then by proxy e. Drops of oil are allowed to drop down through a potential difference. With the electric field you can keep a particle suspended for however long you need, droping...
  4. P

    Heating oil and outside temperature

    Let's say it is 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside. If I have my thermostat set at 60 F, then each time my house dips below that temperature, my furnace should kick on and reheat it to 60 F. And the cycle continues... If I have my thermostat set at 68 F, then the scenario remains the same...
  5. H

    Medical Cod Liver Oil Capsules: Therapeutic Benefits & Scientific Basis

    I have been constantly advised to take cod liver oil capsules to relieve rheumatic and arthritic joint pains. Is this a proven theraputic fact, and/or does it have any scientific basis? I know people who swear by them, but having used them daily for the past six months, I feel just the same...
  6. O

    Removing Burnt Carbon from Used Oil

    Hi to all i would like to ask is there a way of getting burnt carbon out of the used oil i have tried all i can think of but still can't get it all out is their a bleach or some thing i can use please don't tell me about the old trick with a rope it takes to long Thanks
  7. A

    Efficiency of Indian kino oil as a biodiesel

    I am planning to test the efficiency of Indian kino oil as a biodiesel... How do I do it? I only have access to my school chemistry lab...
  8. J

    What advantage of oil in hydraulic brake over air?

    I know that in a hydraulic system, oil is used rather than water because water can easily vaporised under extreme use. What the is the advantage/s of using oil over air in a hydraulic system?
  9. A

    News Sex, Drugs & Oil: Government Ties to Industry

    Government quite literally in bed with the oil industry. . . http://www.forbes.com/business/2008/09/10/sex-drugs-oil-biz-beltway-cx_jz_0909rik.html
  10. R

    How to dilute Light Paraffin /White/ Mineral Oil

    Does any genius here knows any suitable and cheap chemical to dilute Light Paraffin/White Mineral Oil to become lower density & thinner without affecting PH level? Probably a ratio of 10%(Light Paraffin/White/Mineral Oil) + 90%( X chemical)? Thanks!
  11. Ahmed Abdullah

    How solubility of oil in water is effected by temperature?

    I think oil will be less soluble in water in high temperature. Oil is not soluble in water because it is not favoured by entropy change, so we cannot make oil soluble just by changing temperature. Rather increasing temperature would remove energy barrier and decrease solublity. [Energy...
  12. S

    News Will lifting oil drilling bans in the U.S. lower the price of oil?

    My opinion is that it won't change much. I feel that the Bush administration and the oil companies are just pulling a fast one on us because Bush wants to lift these bans before he leaves office. The public are eating it all up. There are two main arguments that they use to advocate...
  13. A

    Jobs After Peak Oil: What to Consider | Physics Forums

    Maybe you've heard about Hubbert peak aka Peak Oil . Otherwise, this threads should be useful for you: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=172175&highlight=hubbert https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=184372&highlight=hubbert The global economy it's entirely oil...
  14. W

    Exploring the Truth: The Real Amount of Oil in the US and the World

    We have had a lot of discusions on oil on this forum. One key question is how much oil there really is in the US and the World. People have written everything from 20 billion barrels in the US to 100 billion barrels or more. Could people weigh in on what they believe is the true number and why?
  15. turbo

    Oil from genetically-modified organisms

    A Silicon Valley startup "LS9" is genetically modifying E.coli and yeast to excrete a petroleum substitute instead of the fatty acids they would normally produce during fermentation. The great thing about this is that they can be fed practically any type of organic waste, and the process need...
  16. E

    Block floating in water - Oil is added

    Homework Statement A block of wood floats on water. A layer of oil is now poured on top of the water to a depth that more than covers the block.If 75% of the wood is submerged in water before the oil is added, find the fraction submerged when oil with a density of 715 kg/m3 covers the block...
  17. L

    What is the depth x of the oil?

    Homework Statement The bore hole of depth 2000m contains both oil and water as shown. The pressure at the bottom is 17.5MPa. The density of the oil is 830kgm^-3 and the density of the water is 1000kgm^-3. http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/6944/10062008fj0.png What is the depth x of the...
  18. S

    Capacitors with dielectric oil

    Homework Statement a 5 microfarad capactior and a 10 microfarad capacitor are connected in parallel across a 50 volt battery as shown. the battery is disconnected and the two capacitors are separated from one another without altering the charge on either one. oil with a dielectric constant of...
  19. edward

    News Congressional Hearing on the Effect of Speculation On the Price of Oil

    I caught this on C-Span last night. It is very interesting, also very long. Some big time players testify here. There is a lot of talk about the "Enron Loophole" If nothing else watch Dr. Mark Cooper at about the 50 trough 60 minute segment. Yea I know he is involved in consumer affairs, but...
  20. D

    Can worms and turkey guts be turned into oil?

    What do you think? Why haven't we heard of this on the news? http://discovermagazine.com/2006/apr/anything-oil"
  21. W

    Should DC operated oil rigs convert to AC?

    Today’s world would seem to dictate that a changeover is needed from DC powered operations to AC for drilling rigs. Is this actually true? Is AC a better deal or a sleeping dog best left alone? DC rig operations have been in existence for many years and have proven reliable so, why the interest...
  22. S

    Milikan's Oil Drop Experiment: Solving the Equation

    Milikan's oild drop experiment is a famous experiment to dertermine the charge on an electron. In order to perform the calculations it is necessary to solve the equatuion that describes the speed of small drops of oil falling under gravity. This equation is: dv/dt = 9.8 - Cv/D^2 Where C=...
  23. J

    Why does oil stick to steel better than water?

    Hullo, I'm new here, so I'm not really sure where to post, but i supposed my question would come under physical chemistry. I am writing an essay on separation techniques in the oil industry, and I came across this machine...
  24. L

    When will oil pumping no longer be profitable?

    1. Oil is being pumped continuously from a certain oil well at a rate proportional to the amount of oil left in the well; that is, dy/dt=ky, where y is the amount left in the well at any time t. Initially, there were 1,000,000 gallons of oil in the well, and 6 years later there were 500,000...
  25. A

    Oil & Water - the horrible mix

    I've been trying to determine the concentration of a vegie oil (0.9 g/mL) in dilute(~2,4 w%) oil-water emulsions that are badly aerated and with gas bubbles. I tried the density method, weighing the samples and then vacuum suck them to rid the bubbles - in order to get an accurate volume...
  26. ~christina~

    What equations are needed to solve a block in oil puzzle?

    [SOLVED] block in oil Homework Statement A cubical block of wood 10.0cm on a side floats at the interface between oil and water with it's lower surface 3.00cm below the interface. The density of the oil is 0.790kg/m^3. a) what is the gauge pressure at the upper face of the block? b) what...
  27. A

    Why Does Water Put Out Fire (not Oil Fire)?

    Why does water put fire (not oil fire) out? I understand that the bound Oxygen atoms in the H2O molecules can't be used by the fire but doesn't water contain free oxygen impurities; If not, how do fish breathe? Is it just because the amount of oxygen contained in the impurities is insignificant...
  28. K

    Unraveling the Mystery of Cooking Steak: Why Oil Matters?

    So, you have steak which you toss on a hot pan. The heat eventually break apart the molecules, making oxygen and hydrogen evaporate and you are left with just carbon, a burnt crust on your steak. My question is, why does this change when you use oil or fat? I have two possible solutions...
  29. H

    Pyrex glass rod is immersed into wesson oil

    http://littleshop.physics.colostate.edu/onlineexperiments/Pyrex%20and%20Oil.html I want to show the math of what happens when the pyrex glass rod is immersed into wesson oil making the bend in light identical, but I don't know where to start? Suggestions? Or equations you believe I should...
  30. B

    Canadian Oil & Gas Jobs: Summer Employment in Tarsands

    Im toying with the idea of trying to get a summer job in the tarsands and I was wondering if anyone could give me the names of some companies I could enquire to. I'm in the third year of a Masters in Mechanical Engineering in Scotland, if that helps at all. Thanks!
  31. B

    The Millikan Oil Drop Experiment (calculating e given a series of charges)

    Homework Statement This is a lab, where we have to calculate the constant e (1.602e-19 C) by calculating the terminal velocity of an oil drop while under the influence of gravity, and the terminal velocity while under the influence of gravity and a known electric field. Homework...
  32. J

    Will an image appear larger or smaller in oil than in water

    light travels more slowly in vegetable oil than in water. Will an object appear larger or smaller if the beaker is filled with oil rather than water?...help me thanks
  33. T

    Calaculate Mass of Cube submerged in oil and water

    [SOLVED] Calaculate Mass of Cube submerged in oil and water Homework Statement A cube is submerged in water and oil the oil is on top, and forms a layer 10cm thick. the water is underneath and forms another layer 10cm thick. the cube has sides of 10.2cm, and has 2.3cm below the oil water...
  34. F

    Calculating Impact Force and oil well tree

    I was wondering if anybody could help me. I need to calculate the impact force exerted on an rov if it collides with a oil well tree. The information I have are the mass of the rov = 500 kg, initial velocity othe rov is 1.5 m/s and the oil well tree is a fixed body. I am unsure how to calculate...
  35. D

    Hydraulic Lift.( U tube) and oil

    Homework Statement A 12,000 N car is raised using a hydraulic lift, which consist of a U - tube with arm of unequal areas, filled with oil with a density of 800 kg/m^3 and capped at both ends with tight-fitting pistons. The wider arm of the U tube had a radius of 18. cm and the narrower arm...
  36. S

    What is the best approach for an offshore oil worker to study physics?

    Hey All, I am an offshore oil worker and have a lot of time to devote to my studies of Physics. I am interested in the pursuit of a general understanding of Relativity, Quantum, and Thoeretical Physics. Although I have a basic understanding of the concepts, I would like to ask the...
  37. S

    News Is it time to rethink our reliance on oil?

    Well it finally happened. I'm still going to be driving my car around though, as there's no adequate and timely public transport to get me to and from where I need to go. Still you would think somethings got to give.
  38. wolram

    Warning about frying new potatoes in hot oil

    Tined new potatoes do not attempt to fry them, they explode, i have just finished cleaning all the cooking oil of the walls ceiling etc, all i did was pour the potatoes into hot fat and within minutes they started exploding, i saw one jump 6 inches into the air, i could not get near the pan...
  39. B

    Decoding the Superiority of Synthetic Oil for Cold Start Engine Wear

    Molecules of conventional oil are of varying size and those of synthetics are of uniform size, so it seems illogical that synthetic oil would be superior to conventional for cold starting only, as the smaller molecules of conventional oil should be able to remain in tighter spaces that larger...
  40. E

    For all the mechanical engineers whom had working experience in mines, oil rigs

    Hi guys, i am about to graduate from my mechanical engineering degree, i am thinking of going into the mining industries, becoming an on-site engineer. People have been telling me that it's a job that pays VERY WELL, but the downfall is that you will have to be on the site for 6 months every...
  41. M

    Volume & Rate of Oil in Underground Tank ABCDEFGH

    An underground oil storage tank ABCDEFGH is part of an inverted square pyarmid, as shown in the diagram. the complete pyramid has asquare base of side 12 m and height 18 m.the depth of the tank is 12 m. http://haniny.com/haniny/Square_pyramid.gif when the depth of oil in the tank is h...
  42. J

    Troubleshooting Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment for A Level Physics Coursework

    Im doing millikan's oil drop experiment as my A level physics coursework to eventually calculate the electronic charge. I am fine with all the theory but what I am really struggling with is the actual practical experiment. I have seen the oil drops a lot and have managed to manipulate them...
  43. J

    Solving Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment - Practical Tips Needed

    Im doing millikan's oil drop experiment as my A level physics coursework to eventually calculate the electronic charge. I am fine with all the theory but what I am really struggling with is the actual practical experiment. I have seen the oil drops a lot and have managed to manipulate them...
  44. J

    Millikan's oil drop experiment - help

    Im doing millikan's oil drop experiment as my A level physics coursework to eventually calculate the electronic charge. I am fine with all the theory but what I am really struggling with is the actual practical experiment. I have seen the oil drops a lot and have managed to manipulate them...
  45. zoki85

    Estimating World Oil Reserves: What Factors Influence the Varying Estimates?

    How are they estimated? What methodologies experts use for that? Some say they will last for up to 50 years,some say for only 15 years. The opinions differ.
  46. F

    Millikan's Oil Drop (Finding modified charge)

    Homework Statement Hi everyone, I am working on Millikan's oil drop experiment. The first 2 columns were given to us, while we figured out the rest (chart/formulas below). I now have to complete another column beside "Mass" with the caption: "Excess Electrons" My teacher said that he...
  47. D

    Can a Car Alternator be Submerged in Oil for Underwater Power Generation?

    Hi I need to build a 12V alternator inside a pressure casing that will be driven by a propellor. This will be mounted on the rear on an oceanographic sensor platform that will be towed behind a ship on a long cable with the ship's forward motion providing the spinning of the prop, for the...
  48. I

    What Happens to an Object When Oil is Added to Water?

    Homework Statement Consider an object that floats in water but sinks in oil. When the object floats in a glass of water, half of the object is submerged. We now slowly pour oil into glass so it completely covers the object.. Compared to water level, does the object move up, move down, or stay...
  49. H

    Millikan Oil Drop Experiment: Solving Homework Equations

    Homework Statement In a Millikan experiment the distance of rise or fall of a droplet is .60 cm and the average time of fall (ie field off) is 21.0 s. With the field turned on, the observed successive rise times are 46.0, 15.5, 28.1, 12.9, 45.3 and 20.0 s a) Prove that charge is quantized...
  50. W

    Flame temperature when heavy fuel oil is burnt

    i need to calculate the surface area of a furnace for a firetube boiler. do anyone know what is the temperature of the gas inside the furnace when Heavy fuel oil is burnt?and also what is the temperature of the furnace wall. thank you in advance
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