The Density Of Liquid Fuels At Various Ambion Temperatures. By Mark Terei, Year 10, Barker College, Hornsby. With thanks to: Tom Terei And The Australian Institute of Petroleum Ltd. This project is aimed at confirming the properties of petroleum in relation to density, as stated in the researched literature. It is concentrated on confirming the density variation, and therefor also the volume variation, which occurs over an ambion temperature range. The petrol?s involved are limited to motor vehicle types, and in this respect the project is related to consumer science. The project uses the equation ? d= m/v? as a major technique. The variables that are most important to control during the experiment are those of expansion and measurement. Therefor, an appropriate apparatus was used. The experiment was delayed several times due to apparatus faults and difficulties, the main problem being the unexpected vaporisation of all the fuels. The experiment provided precise, accurate and conclusive results that confirmed the literature. .????????????????????????????????????. Like all matter, petrol expands with heat and contracts with cold. Therefore there are many issues, problems and questions that can arise. Primarily, the question asked within the experiment was ?does someone receive more petrol in winter than summer?? The question considers the average ambion temperatures of the seasons and the general way of purchasing petrol, by the litre. I was interested in this consumer aspect and the type of experiment that would be done; and I hoped to attain clear results. That is why I chose to conduct the science research project that I did. The expansion and contraction theory is well known and has been proven. And even though these facts are generally ignored when petrol is sold to general consumers, they are usually respected in any higher form of issue. This problem is especially important to investigate because it is related to the consumer and also because the petrol?s investigated are used globally, extensively and in massive quantities and in many different ways for many different reasons and functions. The research of my project was aimed at confirming the properties, discussed above, of the involved petrol and therefore also the affects it creates, as discussed above, thus answering the question asked. I believed that my experiment would confirm the theory well. To find out I practically experimented with petrol. ?????????????????????????????????????. First, to research the topic and obtain some appropriate literature, I conducted a literature survey. I searched the library, the Internet and Petroleum groups (institutions, associations, ECT.). To search the petroleum groups I used the phone book and phoned all that I found. Then, once I had attained some appropriate literature to confirm in my project, I went ahead and conducted an experiment. Equipment/materials:  2 x Pippets  1 x Thermometer  1 x 195ml glass jar  1.5l of diesel petrol  1.5l of leaded petrol  1.5l of unleaded petrol  2 x container  1 x plastic tube Method/Procedures: 1. The apparatus was set-up as shown in fig. A 2. The apparatus was weighed empty, and then when filled with diesel to the lowest noticeable mark on the pippet. This was done to find the fixed Mass of the diesel during the experiment. 3. The apparatus was filled with diesel up to the lowest noticeable mark on the pippet, and then that volume was measured. This was done to find a basic volume to measure from. 4. The apparatus was set-up as shown in fig. B 5. With the diesel temperature below 10�, the apparatus was filled with diesel up to the lowest noticeable mark on the pippet. 6. Cold/hot water was put in the water filled container to change the temperature of the diesel in the glass jar. Temperatures ranged from 10� to 45�. 7. The fuels volume was recorded at 10, 20, 30, and 45� via the pippet. 8. The experimental results were assessed and compared with the literature attained. 9. All steps were repeated, excluding 3. Once using unleaded petrol, once using leaded petrol. ?????????????????????????????????????. The tables and graphs included over the following pages contain all results from both the literature survey and the experiment. The result of the literature survey found an excellent document from a reliable and accurate source. The Australian Institute of Petroleum Ltd (AIP) provided, via post, a technical data sheet titled ?Physical Properties of Petroleum Products?. The document was very appropriate for use in the project. The most relevant information contained in the AIP document was withdrawn and restated in a table and graph. The original document can still be found inserted within the project. All tables show the figures recorded in the experiment, them being temperature, volume and mass, which was fixed. Therefore the volume and mass is known at each recorded temperature. Thus, using the equation ?D=m/v?, the density can also be found. This is also recorded on the results table. These results, the density of fuels at various ambion temperatures, give the final results; they are conclusive and confirm the literature. Note: Extensive explanations of the tables can be found within the appendix. ?????????????????????????????????????. The results of the experiment did not appear exactly as the literature document stated, and it was not expected to. The results were still as corresponding as hoped, if not better, and the largest margin in comparison was only 0.073. Most of this would probably be apparatus error or human error in minimal ways, and there would even be a difference between the fuels tested in the literature and these. The aim of the experiment was to provide results of general confirmation and the graphed results show exactly this, the plots creating a good general trend line in all cases. These results are very good and are easily what was hoped for and needed. The results of the literature survey and the experiment both agree with the traditional theory of density change in petrol. All three of the motor vehicle fuels tested expand with heat and contract with cold. This project has proven that with more detail. It has therefore also proven that someone does in fact receive more petrol in summer than winter, in terms of volume. It would be more sensible, for this reason, for petrol to be sold from consumer outlets by the mass. Yet at the same time only someone in the petrol industry could tell you whether that is really a more sensible method. The method of measuring and selling petrol by the mass may actually be too difficult or radical. The same person also could confirm whether petrol is actually sold by the mass in higher forms of issues than motor vehicle fuel sales, although it is still very reasonable to assume so with these results. This fact that the density of petrol changes with temperature is very important, as described within the introduction. For example, it brings one to ask, ?Does this variation not effect the machinery it powers?? Again, only an expert or continued research could answer that question. Above all, this project has achieved its aim and confirmed the properties discussed, of the involved petrol. ?????????????????????????????????????. Temp. Deg. C = The temperature at which the other properties were recorded. Pippet Reading mL = The reading that was actually seen and recorded off the pippet used in the apparatus. The pippet was installed with 10 at the bottom and 0 at the top, seen as upside-down; this is what causes the inversed figures. Vol. Increase mL = The amount the volume had increased above the volume of the lowest recorded volume. It is actually the amount of water in the pippet, above the pippet reading of the lowest temperature. Mass g = The weight (mass) of the fuel itself. This is found by using ?weight of full system-minus- weight of empty system?. ?System? being the apparatus. Volume mL = The volume of fuel in the entire apparatus. This is found by subtracting the ?pippet reading mL? from the default volume (volume at ?0? on the scale). Remembering that the pippet is installed upside-down. Density = Mass per unit volume, as grams per millilitre, in this case. This is found using the equation ?D=m/v?. The mass is fixed at all temperatures. Volume ?0? mL on the scale = The volume of fuel in the entire apparatus when the pippet reads 0 mL. It is the volume at the starting point of the experiment; and therefore the default volume. Density at 45 deg C = The density of the fuel at 45 degrees Celsius, measured as grams per millilitre. This is for use when comparing the density with other fuels. It could be seen as the default density for the experiment.