Questions: What is an "octane rating"? What two reference hydrocarbons are used for

Transcript text: What is an "octane rating"? What two reference hydrocarbons are used for

Solution

Solution Steps

Step 1: Understanding the Octane Rating

The octane rating is a standard measure of the performance of an engine or aviation fuel. It indicates the fuel's ability to resist knocking or pinging during combustion, caused by the air-fuel mixture detonating prematurely in the engine. A higher octane rating means the fuel can withstand more compression before detonating, which is beneficial for high-performance engines.

Step 2: Identifying the Reference Hydrocarbons

The octane rating is determined by comparing the fuel's performance to a mixture of two reference hydrocarbons: iso-octane and n-heptane. Iso-octane is assigned an octane rating of 100 because it resists knocking very well, while n-heptane is assigned a rating of 0 because it knocks very easily. The octane number of a fuel is the percentage of iso-octane in a mixture with n-heptane that would have the same anti-knocking properties as the fuel being tested.

Final Answer

The octane rating is a measure of a fuel's ability to resist engine knocking. The two reference hydrocarbons used are iso-octane and n-heptane. \(\boxed{\text{Octane rating: iso-octane and n-heptane}}\)

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