Ethanol vs. Gasoline

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Comparison and Contrast: Gasoline vs. Ethanol In a world that is becoming more and more dependent on machines and technology, effective fuels are in high demand. Today, one of the many energy disputes is between conventional gasoline and ethanol. Gasoline has been around since before internal combustion engines were in production, so why the sudden interest in ethanol? I will go into detail on the dispute between gasoline and ethanol and the benefits/drawbacks of each. Gasoline, derived from a limited fossil fuel, producing a relatively low octane, and causing many foreign disputes may still be a better choice than water-attracting ethanol that will require change to an entire industry. Ethanol is the alcohol you find in your favorite adult beverage. According to the dictionary, “Ethanol has many uses as a solvent, a raw material, an extraction medium, an antifreeze, an antiseptic, and a gasoline additive and substitute” (Merriam-Webster). Gasoline and ethanol can then both be referred to as “gas” by modern definition. Both are effective methods to release stored potential energy in an internal combustion engine and provide power to move a vehicle. Ethanol, generally E85, a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, is becoming more and more readily available at local gas stations and it is easily confused with normal gasoline at the pump. In fact, the United States government has a mandate in place that allows up to 10% of the fuel dispensed out of a standard gasoline pump to be ethanol. This would translate to an E10 fuel where undiluted gasoline would be E0. In terms of actual power content, “ethanol holds up to 76,100 BTU’s (19,025 Calories) of energy. Straight, undiluted gasoline, however, holds 114,000 BTU’s (28,500 Calories); a generous difference”(hho4free). This is why even though you may “fill up” with the same amount of ethanol as gasoline, you will
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