The liquid to test is poured into a tall container, often a graduated cylinder, and the hydrometer is gently lowered into the liquid until it floats freely. The point at which the surface of the liquid touches the stem of the hydrometer correlates to specific gravity.

Density Check (to check petrol and diesel) A hydrometer is a very simple instrument for measuring the density of any liquid. This converted density is then compared with the density shown by the records maintained at the retail outlet on the basis of the density recorded on delivery challans.

The density of petroleum diesel is about 0.85 kg/l – about 15–20% higher than the density of gasoline, which has a density of approximately 0.70–0.75 kg/l.

Density of fuel is “the mass of fuel per unit volume”. In some cases the density is expressed as a specific gravity or relative density, in which case it is expressed in multiples of the density of some other standard material, usually water or air.

830 kg/m3

Density of petrol is 745 and diesel 846 approximately at 15degree centigrade. Hi. This density at constant tempreture. Diesel fuel oil 20 to 60 at 15°C and 820–950 kg/m^3.

Diesel is lighter than water so if there is water in the fuel, it will settle to the bottom of the jar.

Naphtha General or High Aromatic Naphtha

The AIPDA said that this variety of diesel, called Euro IV HSD is pale white in colour due to lower sulphur content and so should not be confused with kerosene.

Specific Gravity Resource

To ignite, the fuel must have a low flash point, but in order to avoid preignition caused by residual heat in a hot combustion chamber, the fuel must have a high autoignition temperature. Diesel fuel flash points vary between 52 and 96 °C (126 and 205 °F). Diesel is suitable for use in a compression-ignition engine.

Diesel is a stable liquid at normal outdoor temperatures. At temperatures above 100 degrees, the diesel liquid can begin to vaporize.

If you toss a lit match into a puddle of diesel fuel, it’ll go out. In a car, it takes intense pressure or sustained flame to ignite diesel. On the other hand, if you toss a match into a pool of gasoline, it won’t even touch the surface — it ignites the vapors above the surface. (Please don’t do this at home!)

Diesel will only ignite under high pressure. The flash point of Diesel is much higher when compares to that of Gasoline (Petrol) and hence it would not ignite with a lighter as a liquid, but will as a vapor.

Ignite a burn pile with diesel fuel. Diesel fuel burns hotter and longer than other ignition sources. Wood piles made up of tree limbs, lumber and other organic debris ignite quickly with the use of diesel fuel.

Diesels deliver more power at lower engine revs than their petrol equivalent. This makes diesels feel more suited to longer motorway trips because they’re not working as hard as petrol engines to produce the same performance. This also helps to make diesel cars better suited for towing.

Are Diesel Cars Being Phased Out? The government announced in 2020 that the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned by 2030, along with most hybrid cars that use existing technology. Although it sounds like a drastic measure, the policy may not actually have a very dramatic impact on the industry.

Though the diesel variant has a higher torque than the petrol, it does so on a lower rpm due to which shifting is necessary sooner than that on the petrol. Thus the petrol produces more power and accelerates from 0 to 100 quicker.