Curious About Gasoline

PODCAST 136: CURIOUS ABOUT GASOLINE
RELEASE DATE:  MAY 9TH, 2021

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, WE GOT CURIOUS ABOUT CARS IN EPISODE 60.  WE LEARNED ABOUT THE HISTORY OF CARS, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GAS POWERED CARS AND ELECTRIC CARS, AND WE LEARNED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW CARS WORK.  TODAY, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE AN EVEN MORE DETAILED LOOK AT HOW CARS WORK, SO LET’S POP THE HOOD ON YOUR IMAGINARY CAR AND TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT’S GOING ON INSIDE.

O:  MAILBAG!

D:  MAILBAG!

“HI JACOB AND OLIVIA, MY NAME IS CHARLIE AND MY MOM’S NAME IS MICHELLE.  I AM FOUR AND A HALF YEARS OLD AND WE LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA.  WE JUST STARTED LISTENING TO YOUR PODCAST A FEW WEEKS AGO AND TONIGHT WE FINISHED LISTENING TO ALL OF THE EPISODES!  MY FAVORITE ONE WAS ABOUT BICYCLES.  I’VE BEEN TELLING ALL OF MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT YOUR PODCAST SO THEY CAN LISTEN TOO!  I’VE LEARNED SO MUCH BUT SOMETHING YOU HAVEN’T COVERED YET THAT I’M CURIOUS ABOUT IS GASOLINE.  WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?  HOW IS IT MADE?  HOW DOES IT MAKE THINGS WORK?  MY MOM AND I ARE ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT HOW YOU PICKED YOUR INTRO AND OUTRO MUSIC.

THANKS FOR DOING THE PODCAST, LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING BACK FROM YOU.

CHARLIE AND MICHELLE”

O:  THAT WAS SUCH AN AMAZING E-MAIL CHARLIE.  WE ARE GETTING CURIOUS ABOUT GASOLINE THIS WEEK FOR YOU.

D:  WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE E-MAIL.  IT’S INCREDIBLE THAT YOU ENJOY THE PODCAST SO MUCH THAT YOU’VE CAUGHT UP ON ALL OF OUR EPISODES IN JUST A FEW WEEKS.  THAT MEANS SO MUCH TO US.  WE ARE ALSO SO APPRECIATIVE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN TELLING YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY HOW MUCH YOU ENJOY THE PODCAST.  IF YOU LOVE CURIOUS KID PODCAST, THERE IS TRULY NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO SHOW YOUR LOVE MORE THAN LETTING OTHERS KNOW ABOUT US.  WORD OF MOUTH HELPS US GROW AND MAKE SURE WE CAN CONTINUE MAKING MORE EPISODES OF THE PODCAST FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.  

O:  CHARLIE ALSO WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE INTRO AND OUTRO MUSIC.

D:  THAT’S RIGHT.  BEFORE WE STARTED RECORDING OUR FIRST EPISODE, I PLAYED AROUND WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT SOUNDS.  FOR THE INTRO MUSIC, I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING REALLY CATCHY AND FUNKY.  SOMETHING THAT GETS PEOPLE EXCITED AND MAYBE EVEN DOING A LITTLE DANCE.  FOR THE OUTRO MUSIC, I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS CATCHY BUT ALSO NOT OVERPOWERING, BECAUSE I KNEW I WAS GOING TO BE TALKING OVER THE OUTRO MUSIC.  I WANTED SOMETHING WITH A LOT OF BASS IN IT, BUT NOTHING THAT WAS GOING TO DISTRACT FROM WHAT I WAS SAYING.  

O:  WE HAVEN’T CHANGED THE MUSIC SINCE EPISODE ONE BECAUSE PEOPLE REALLY SEEM TO LIKE IT.

D:  WE’VE ADDED THINGS, LIKE A LITTLE TUNE BEFORE OUR GUEST INTERVIEWS THAT WE DIDN’T HAVE WAY BACK WHEN WE STARTED THIS PODCAST, BUT OUR INTRO AND OUTRO MUSIC HASN’T CHANGED AT ALL.  OKAY, REV YOUR ENGINES BECAUSE IT’S TIME TO LEARN ABOUT GASOLINE.  WHAT’S THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK?

O:  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHAT IS GASOLINE CALLED IN MOST COUNTRIES OUTSIDE OF NORTH AMERICA?

D:  IN MOST PARTS OF THE WORLD, OUTSIDE OF NORTH AMERICA, A DIFFERENT WORD IS USED TO DESCRIBE GASOLINE.  ANY IDEA WHAT THAT WORD IS?  WHILE YOU’RE THINKING, LET’S START LEARNING ABOUT GASOLINE.  WE ARE GOING TO SEPARATE THIS EPISODE INTO 2 PARTS.  FIRST, WE ARE GOING TO LEARN WHAT GASOLINE IS AND WHERE IT COMES FROM, THEN WE ARE GOING TO LEARN HOW GASOLINE MAKES CARS MOVE.  

O:  GAS COMES FROM PETROLEUM OIL, WHICH COULD BE FOUND UNDERGROUND.

D:  PETROLEUM OIL IS THICK AND BLACK, AND IT CAN CREATE LOTS OF ENERGY WHEN IT IS BURNED.  IN ORDER TO GET THE PETROLEUM OIL, WHICH IS ALSO CALLED CRUDE OIL, OUT OF THE GROUND, A HOLE NEEDS TO BE DRILLED INTO THE GROUND.  PETROLEUM OIL HAS GASOLINE IN IT, BUT IT ALSO HAS SOME OTHER STUFF.  THE OTHER STUFF IS REMOVED FROM THE PETROLEUM OIL IN A PLACE CALLED A REFINERY.    

O:  IT’S KIND OF LIKE THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT FROM THE CURIOUS ABOUT TOILETS EPISODE.

D:  YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.  IN EPISODE 33, CURIOUS ABOUT TOILETS, WE LEARNED THAT AFTER YOU GO POTTY AND YOU FLUSH THE TOILET, THAT WATER AND WASTE ENDS UP IN A WATER TREATMENT PLANT.  AT THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT, IT IS CLEANED UP SO THAT THE SAME WATER CAN BE USED AGAIN FOR ALL SORTS OF THINGS, FROM BATHING TO DRINKING.  A REFINERY IS SIMILAR.  PETROLEUM OIL ENTERS THE REFINERY.  AT THE REFINERY, THAT OIL IS REFINED.  REFINE MEANS TO REMOVE THE JUNK FROM SOMETHING SO THAT YOU END UP WITH THE PART OF IT THAT YOU WANT.  IN A REFINERY, THE GASOLINE IS ISOLATED FROM THE REST OF THE PETROLEUM OIL, SO THAT IT CAN BE USED TO POWER THINGS LIKE CARS.  LET’S LEARN A BIT ABOUT HOW THAT WORKS.

O:  THE ENGINE OF THE CAR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TURNING THE GASOLINE INTO THE ENERGY NEEDED TO MOVE THE CAR.
D:  IN A GAS POWERED CAR, THE ENGINE IS CALLED AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.  

O:  COMBUSTION IS A FANCY WORD FOR BURNING SOMETHING.

D:  AND, THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE A CAR ENGINE.  THE GASOLINE IS BURNED TO CREATE ENERGY.  THE WORD INTERNAL MEANS INSIDE.  SO, AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE MEANS THAT GASOLINE IS BURNED INSIDE OF IT.  

O:  THE GASOLINE IS BURNED INSIDE CYLINDERS.  CYLINDERS ARE CALLED CYLINDERS BECAUSE THEY ARE CYLINDER-SHAPED.  

D:  WELL, THAT MAKES SENSE.  ALL GAS POWERED CARS HAVE A FEW CYLINDERS IN THE ENGINE.  MOST SMALLER CARS HAVE 4 CYLINDERS, LARGER CARS USUALLY HAVE 6 CYLINDERS, AND SOME VERY LARGE OR POWERFUL CARS, TRUCKS, VANS, AND BUSES MAY HAVE MORE THAN 6 CYLINDERS.  

O:  THERE IS A PISTON IN EACH CYLINDER THAT GO UP AND DOWN, AND THAT CAUSES THE WHEELS TO TURN. 

D:  EVERY TIME THE PISTON GOES UP OR DOWN, IT’S CALLED A STROKE.  THE PROCESS FOR TURNING GASOLINE INTO ENERGY INVOLVES FOUR STROKES, SO IT’S CALLED A FOUR STROKE ENGINE.  THERE ARE TWO VALVES IN EACH CYLINDER TO TAKE THINGS TO AND FROM THE CYLINDER.  ONE IS CALLED THE INLET VALVE AND THE OTHER IS CALLED THE OUTLET VALVE.

O:  THE INLET VALVE LETS THINGS INTO THE CYLINDER AND THE OUTLET VALVE LETS THINGS OUT OF THE CYLINDER.  

D:  OKAY, LET’S LEARN THE 4 STEP PROCESS THAT TAKES PLACE IN THESE CYLINDERS.

O:  THE FIRST STEP IS CALLED INTAKE.  IN THE INTAKE STEP, GAS AND AIR ENTER THE INLET VALVE AND THE PISTON IS PULLED DOWN.
D:  THE SECOND STEP IS COMPRESSION.  COMPRESS MEANS TO SQUEEZE SOMETHING.  IN THIS CASE, THE PISTON MOVES BACK UP THE CYLINDER, SQUEEZING THE GAS AND AIR THAT ARE INSIDE.

O:  THE THIRD STEP IS POWER.  A SPARK PLUG IN THE CYLINDER LIGHTS A FIRE, CAUSING A TINY EXPLOSION.  THE EXPLOSION PUSHES THE PISTON BACK DOWN.

D:  THE FOURTH AND FINAL STEP IS CALLED EXHAUST.  IN THIS STEP, THE PISTON GOES BACK UP, AND THE OTHER VALVE, CALLED THE OUTLET VALVE, OPENS.  WHEN THE OUTLET VALVE OPENS, THE BURNED GAS, OR EXHAUST GAS, LEAVES THE CYLINDER AND EXITS THE CAR THROUGH THE EXHAUST PIPE.   

SO, TO SUMMARIZE, GAS AND AIR ENTER THE CYLINDER AS THE PISTON GOES DOWN.  THEN THE PISTON GOES BACK UP SQUEEZING THE GAS AND AIR AT THE TOP OF THE CYLINDER.  THEN, A SPARK PLUG MAKES A SPARK THAT CAUSES A MINI-EXPLOSION, FORCING THE PISTON BACK DOWN.  FINALLY, THE PISTON COMES BACK UP, PUSHING THE BURNED GAS OUT OF THE CYLINDER THROUGH THE OUTLET VALVE.  

O:  THIS HAPPENS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, CREATING ENERGY TO MOVE THE CAR.

D:  AND IT IS DESIGNED IN A WAY THAT, IN A FOUR CYLINDER CAR, ONE CYLINDER IS IN EACH OF THE STEPS AT ALL TIMES, SO THAT THE ENGINE IS PROVIDING A CONSTANT AMOUNT OF ENERGY TO MOVE THE CAR.  

O:  DADDY, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THINGS I SEE AT THE GAS STATION.  I NOTICED THAT THEY ALWAYS USE THE WORD UNLEADED TO DESCRIBE GAS. WHAT’S THAT ALL ABOUT?

D:  GREAT QUESTION, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH THE 4 STEP PROCESS WE JUST LEARNED ABOUT.  THE GAS IN A CYLINDER IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BURN UNTIL THE SPARK PLUG MAKES A SPARK AND THE TINY EXPLOSION HAPPENS.  SOMETIMES, IF THE GAS IS A LITTLE UNSTABLE, OR IF THE ENGINE GETS TOO HOT, THE GAS DOESN’T BURN AT THE RIGHT TIME.  IN OTHER WORDS, IT BURNS WITHOUT THE SPARK.  THIS IS CALLED PINGING.  THIS IS BAD NEWS AND IT COULD HURT YOUR ENGINE.  WELL, PEOPLE REALIZED THAT, IF YOU ADD LEAD TO THE GAS, IT WOULD MAKE THE GAS MORE STABLE, EVEN AT HIGH TEMPERATURES.  WHAT THEY REALIZED, AFTER SOME TIME, IS THAT LEAD IS DANGEROUS AND HARMFUL, SO THEY NO LONGER USE LEAD FOR THIS PURPOSE.  UNLEADED GAS MEANS THAT IT DOESN’T CONTAIN LEAD.  

O:  ALSO, WHAT’S WITH THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GAS?  YOU ALWAYS ASK FOR REGULAR, BUT WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REGULAR AND PREMIUM?

D:  ANOTHER AWESOME QUESTION.  WHEN YOU GO FILL UP GAS AT A GAS STATION, YOU WILL HAVE A FEW DIFFERENT CHOICES.  REGULAR GAS AND SOME OTHER OPTIONS, SOMETIMES CALLED PREMIUM, OR PLUS, OR SOMETHING ELSE FANCY.  THESE ARE CALLED GAS GRADES.  JUST LIKE YOUR SCHOOL GRADES, THEY ARE ASSIGNED A NUMBER.  REGULAR IS USUALLY AN 87.  THE MID GRADE, LET’S CALL IT PLUS, MIGHT HAVE AN 89, AND THE PREMIUM GRADE MIGHT BE ANYWHERE FROM A 91 TO A 93.  WHAT DO THOSE NUMBERS MEAN?  WELL, THEY ARE KNOWN AS OCTANE RATINGS.  JUST LIKE YOUR LAST QUESTION ABOUT UNLEADED GAS, THE OCTANE RATING HAS A LOT TO DO WITH AVOIDING PINGING AND MAKING SURE THE ENGINE RUNS SMOOTHLY.  OCTANE IS A CHEMICAL THAT IS GREAT AT NOT BURNING WHEN IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO.  WE ALSO DON’T WANT THE GAS IN OUR CARS BURNING WHEN IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO.  THE OCTANE RATING IS A NUMBER THAT SHOWS YOU HOW GOOD A GAS IS AT NOT BURNING WHEN IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE BAD FOR YOUR CAR.  SO, REGULAR GAS, WITH AN 87 OCTANE RATING, IS 87% AS GOOD AS OCTANE AT NOT BURNING WHEN IT SHOULDN’T.  PREMIUM GAS, WHICH USUALLY HAS AN OCTANE RATING BETWEEN 91 AND 93, IS BETWEEN 91% AND 93% AS GOOD AS OCTANE AT NOT BURNING WHEN IT SHOULDN’T, SO IT’S A LITTLE BETTER AND A LITTLE MORE STABLE THAN REGULAR GAS.  MOST CARS WORK JUST FINE ON REGULAR GAS, BUT SOME CARS REQUIRE A HIGHER OCTANE RATING TO PROTECT THE ENGINE.  OKAY OLIVIA, LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  WHAT IS GASOLINE CALLED IN MOST COUNTRIES OUTSIDE OF NORTH AMERICA?

O:  MOST OTHER COUNTRIES CALL GASOLINE PETROL.  

D:  THAT’S A GREAT WORD FOR IT, BECAUSE WE NOW KNOW THAT GASOLINE COMES FROM PETROLEUM GAS THAT IS DRILLED OUT OF THE GROUND.  PETROLEUM IS ALSO A WONDERFUL WORD BECAUSE PETRA MEANS ROCK IN LATIN AND OLEUM MEANS OIL, SO PETROLEUM MEANS OIL FORM ROCK, WHICH IS SUPER-NEAT.  THE ORIGINS OF THE WORD GASOLINE ARE NOT AS CLEAR.  SOME THINK THAT IT IS JUST A COMBINATION OF A FEW THINGS.  GAS, WHICH HAS BEEN USED TO FUEL THINGS, LIKE GAS LAMPS, OL, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE OIL USED FOR FUEL, AND INE, WHICH IS A COMMON ENDING TO CHEMICAL NAMES.  ANOTHER POSSIBILITY IS THAT IT CAME FROM THE BRAND NAME CAZELINE.  IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, THERE WAS A BRAND OF GAS CALLED CAZELINE, WHICH WAS SOLD BY AND NAMED AFTER JOHN CASSEL… GET IT, CASSEL-INE.  WELL, IT’S POSSIBLE THAT OTHERS WANTED TO SELL THE PRODUCT, BUT COULDN’T USE THE NAME CAZELINE, SO THEY CHANGED IT TO A VERY SIMILAR SOUNDING GASOLINE.  I LOVE LEARNING WHERE WORDS COME FROM.  WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  136 - GASOLINE.

D:  GREAT JOB, OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB CHARLIE FOR THE ENERGETIC TOPIC SUGGESTION.  WE HAVE A BIT OF HOMEWORK FOR OUR LISTENERS.  IF YOU COULD TELL JUST ONE FRIEND ABOUT THIS PODCAST, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.  THINK ABOUT THAT ONE FRIEND, OR MAYBE EVEN A FAMILY MEMBER, THAT IS CURIOUS ABOUT ALL SORTS OF THINGS LIKE YOU, AND LOVES TO LEARN.  LET THAT PERSON KNOW ABOUT CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  WE CAN’T THANK CHARLIE ENOUGH FOR HELPING TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE PODCAST.  WE HAVE THE GREATEST LISTENERS IN THE WORLD.  ANYTIME YOU DO SOMETHING TO SUPPORT US AND HELP US GROW, WE KNOW ABOUT IT AND IT MEANS SO MUCH TO US.  COME BACK NEXT WEEK, WHEN WE GET CURIOUS ABOUT TOOTHBRUSHES FOR A LISTENER IN UTAH.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.