Comments on: How much does vegetable oil weigh? http://www.dieselearth.com/notebook/how-much-does-vegetable-oil-weigh.html Making the World a Better Place Sat, 13 Jun 2009 01:05:10 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Ed Brown http://www.dieselearth.com/notebook/how-much-does-vegetable-oil-weigh.html/comment-page-1#comment-113 Ed Brown Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:25:41 +0000 http://www.dieselearth.com/notebook/how-much-does-vegetable-oil-weigh.html#comment-113 I forgot to mention temperature variations, since temp affects volume and volume affects mass. Vegetale oils average a specific gravity of .92, which means at any temperature they weigh 92% of the weigh tof water, or 8.3453 lbs per gallon times .92 equals 7.68 pounds per gallon vegetable oil. This will vary by carbon saturation. Ciao, Ed I forgot to mention temperature variations, since temp affects volume and volume affects mass. Vegetale oils average a specific gravity of .92, which means at any temperature they weigh 92% of the weigh tof water, or 8.3453 lbs per gallon times .92 equals 7.68 pounds per gallon vegetable oil. This will vary by carbon saturation.
Ciao, Ed

]]> By: Ed Brown http://www.dieselearth.com/notebook/how-much-does-vegetable-oil-weigh.html/comment-page-1#comment-112 Ed Brown Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:52:22 +0000 http://www.dieselearth.com/notebook/how-much-does-vegetable-oil-weigh.html#comment-112 Your experiment, while noble, is flawed by the fact that you did not subtract the weights of the containers from the gross weights of the oils, and you did not specify the grade or brand of "gas" you bought and did subtract the container weight from. And, spring scales are notoriously inaccurate! Vegetable oil containers can be made from heavy or light weight plastics. Motor oil containers are mostly HDPE and can be various thickness, especially in the extrusion of the bottom of a gallon sized container, which can be up to 1/4 inch thick. In addition, you cannot be sure that the volumes were equal just because the labels said they were. Federal law allows a certain percentage variation in volume measure for various products. Food products can vary from the label by 5%. Gasoline sold by various companies has various additive, methanol being a major one today. Gasoline can vary up to 1/2 pound per gallon depending on its contents. And of course gas is lighter than oil, it has lower carbon density; crude oil is heaviest, refined oils lighter, volatiles lightest. Think of it this way: methane, with one carbon, is a gas at room temp; octane with eight carbons, is liquid longer, but becomes gas easily. More carbon = more weight = more solid. A good design would be to obtain a certified scale and a volumetric container that is also lab grade, then weigh the liquids in the same container, cleaning and taring between measurements. Additionally, the standard weights for most liquids are available on- line already and you would not run the risk of misinforming your audience! Good luck with future,"experiments". Your experiment, while noble, is flawed by the fact that you did not subtract the weights of the containers from the gross weights of the oils, and you did not specify the grade or brand of “gas” you bought and did subtract the container weight from. And, spring scales are notoriously inaccurate!

Vegetable oil containers can be made from heavy or light weight plastics. Motor oil containers are mostly HDPE and can be various thickness, especially in the extrusion of the bottom of a gallon sized container, which can be up to 1/4 inch thick. In addition, you cannot be sure that the volumes were equal just because the labels said they were. Federal law allows a certain percentage variation in volume measure for various products. Food products can vary from the label by 5%.
Gasoline sold by various companies has various additive, methanol being a major one today. Gasoline can vary up to 1/2 pound per gallon depending on its contents. And of course gas is lighter than oil, it has lower carbon density; crude oil is heaviest, refined oils lighter, volatiles lightest. Think of it this way: methane, with one carbon, is a gas at room temp; octane with eight carbons, is liquid longer, but becomes gas easily. More carbon = more weight = more solid.
A good design would be to obtain a certified scale and a volumetric container that is also lab grade, then weigh the liquids in the same container, cleaning and taring between measurements. Additionally, the standard weights for most liquids are available on- line already and you would not run the risk of misinforming your audience! Good luck with future,”experiments”.

]]> By: Kurt http://www.dieselearth.com/notebook/how-much-does-vegetable-oil-weigh.html/comment-page-1#comment-103 Kurt Fri, 12 Sep 2008 02:25:51 +0000 http://www.dieselearth.com/notebook/how-much-does-vegetable-oil-weigh.html#comment-103 Excellent work. Only other variable is heat but not quite so much of a factor and purity as well - bio grade can be a bit of a strange brew even with credentials. Excellent work. Only other variable is heat but not quite so much of a factor and purity as well – bio grade can be a bit of a strange brew even with credentials.

]]> By: Pat Wyatt http://www.dieselearth.com/notebook/how-much-does-vegetable-oil-weigh.html/comment-page-1#comment-98 Pat Wyatt Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:24:10 +0000 http://www.dieselearth.com/notebook/how-much-does-vegetable-oil-weigh.html#comment-98 My husband and I have discussed these weights for years, but, of course, were not as industrious as yourself. Thank you for your contribution to our quandry. My husband and I have discussed these weights for years, but, of course, were not as industrious as yourself. Thank you for your contribution to our quandry.

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