Show I Gasoline Gasoline- Manmade Man made Power I What common liquid costs one fifth the price of milk or root root beer and third one-third the price of distilled water I GIVE UP The answer is gasoline if you exclude the taxes on it I Whether you call it petrol essence or just plain gas this fuel that powers the worlds world's automobiles is a curious and remarkable substance THE CURRENT issue of Pe Petroleum Petroleum Petroleum Pe- Pe Today reveals some little known facts about gaso gaso- line It points out for example that gasoline's efficiency has hasl l Been een n improved 50 per cent during dur- dur lug Ling the past 40 years Yet in the United States at r least least the retail price of the fuel before taxes has actually decreased The combined state and federal levies on gasoline now average 10 2 1 cents a galon gal gal- on GASOLINE is really no longer long long- er gasoline at least as the word was understood half a century ago the article states In those days the fuel was obtained by bya a simple formula heat crude oil oilin oilin in a still capture the gases that I form at the top and wait for them to condense By contrast today's gasoline is extremely complex The molecules in the gases are pulled apart and reorganized beyond recognition ABOUT 80 per cent of modern modern modern mod mod- ern high-grade high gasoline is composed composed composed com com- posed of made custom-made molecules molecules molecules mole mole- cules Petroleum Today ob observes observes observes ob- ob serves and that figure does not Include chemical additives none of which occur naturally in crude oil The magazine article also points out that octane rating is isone isone isone one key to gasoline quality THE OCTANE number it explains is is an indication of the gasoline's antiknock ca capacity Capacity capaci ca- ca paci ty the more powerful an auto engine the higher the octane oc octane octane oc- oc tane rating must go Which ex explains explains explains ex- ex plains why the octane numbers of premium fuels have climbed from 72 to more than since 1930 Today's regular-grade regular gasoline has a higher octane rating than premium fuel had a decade ago i For or all its excellence and low cost gasoline might as well be invisible Unless some spills on the way from pump hose to togas togas togas gas tank the article notes Ithe the motorist never sees it POUND FOR pound Petroleum Petroleum Petro- Petro leum Today says oil companies companies compa- compa nies ales produce more gasoline than the combined output of every lumber mill packing meat-packing house dairy t and wheat far farm m in inthe inthe inthe the nation yet those most ubiquitous ubiquitous ubiquitous of products remains a mystery to the millions of motorists motorists motorists mo mo- mo- mo so dependent upon it |