Latest / Kidcast Daily / Ep220: Petrol (Gasoline) vs Diesel

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Ep220: Petrol (Gasoline) vs Diesel · Kidcast Daily

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  Spin the wheel, let's take a ride.
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  Sports and science bursting from inside a world of wonder.
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  Open wide. Come on kids, let's amplify kid
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  cats. Daily starts yours.
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  Welcome to Kick Ass Daily, where we bring news, trivia, fun
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  facts, and more just for curious kids like you.
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  Today we're going to explore something you probably see
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  almost every day but might not know much about.
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  We're talking about petrol and diesel, the two main types of
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  fuel that help cars, trucks, buses, and many other vehicles.
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  Go room. Let's dive in and learn all
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  about petrol versus diesel. First, let's start with the
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  basics. Petrol and diesel are both
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  fuels. That means they are substances
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  that cars and trucks burn inside their engines to create energy.
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  This energy is what makes vehicles move.
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  Both petrol and diesel come from crude oil, which is a thick,
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  sticky liquid that is pumped out of the ground.
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  Crude oil is sent to special factories called refineries,
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  where it is cleaned up and separated into different
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  products, including petrol and diesel.
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  You might have heard petrol called by another name,
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  gasoline. In some countries, like the
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  United States and Canada, people say gasoline or just gas.
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  In most other places, people say petrol.
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  Even though the words are different, they mean the same
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  thing. Now let's talk about how petrol
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  and diesel are different. Even though they both come from
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  crude oil, they are made in slightly different ways.
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  Petrol is lighter and evaporates more easily, while diesel is
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  heavier and oilier. If you have ever been to a gas
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  station with an adult, you might have seen two different pumps,
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  one for petrol and one for diesel.
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  It's very important to put the right fuel into the right
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  vehicle because petrol and diesel engines work differently.
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  Let's figure out how these engines work.
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  In a petrol engine, the fuel mixes with air and then a spark
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  plug creates a tiny spark that causes the mixture to explode.
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  This explosion pushes a art called a piston and that's what
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  makes the car move. Petrol engines need that spark
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  to get going. Diesel engines are a little
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  different. They don't use Sark lugs.
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  Instead diesel fuel is squirted into the engine where the air is
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  already squeezed really tightly by the piston.
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  When diesel fuel meets this super hot high pressure air, it
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  explodes all on its own. This is called compression
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  ignition. Diesel engines rely on pressure,
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  not sparks, to get the job done. Now let's talk about where you
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  might find petrol and diesel engines.
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  Most regular cars use petrol engines.
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  Petrol engines are usually quieter and can be smaller and
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  lighter. That's why you'll find petrol
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  engines in many family cars, small trucks and motorcycles.
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  Diesel engines, on the other hand, are often used in bigger
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  vehicles like trucks, buses, and trains.
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  That's because diesel engines are really good at providing
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  lots of power for a long time. They're built to be tough and
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  strong, which makes them perfect for vehicles that have to carry
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  heavy loads or travel very long distances.
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  Here's an interesting fact. Some of the world's biggest
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  ships and trains use diesel engines because they can run for
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  days or even weeks without stopping.
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  That's a lot of travelling. Let's talk about fuel
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  efficiency. Fuel efficiency is a way of
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  measuring how far a vehicle can go using a certain amount of
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  fuel. Diesel engines are usually more
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  fuel efficient than petrol engines.
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  That means for the same amount of fuel, a diesel engine can
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  help a truck or a bus travel farther than a petrol engine
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  could. This is one reason why delivery
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  trucks and big buses often use diesel engines.
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  They can save money by using less fuel for long trips.
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  But there's a trade off. Diesel engines are often heavier
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  and can be more expensive to make.
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  Also, diesel engines can be noisier and create more
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  vibrations than petrol engines, which is why most family cars
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  use petrol engines instead. Now let's talk about pollution.
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  Both petrol and diesel engines release gases when they burn
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  fuel. These gases go out through the
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  exhaust pipe at the back of the car.
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  Some of these gases, like carbon dioxide can add to air
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  pollution. Diesel engines usually release
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  less carbon dioxide than petrol engines, which is good for the
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  environment. But diesel engines can produce
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  other pollutants like tiny particles and nitrogen oxides,
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  which can cause problems for people and the planet if there
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  is too much of them in the air. Did you know that car companies
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  and scientists are always working to make engines cleaner
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  and safer? They are inventing new ways to
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  reduce pollution, like special filters for diesel engines and
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  improved designs for petrol engines.
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  Some vehicles even use a mix of petrol and electricity called
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  hybrids, or run only on electricity, which means they
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  don't need petrol or diesel at all.
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  Let's look at another difference, how the fuels are
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  handled. Petrol is more flammable than
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  diesel. That means it can catch fire
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  more easily. That's why you might see more
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  safety warnings around petrol pumps at gas stations.
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  Diesel is less likely to catch fire, which can make it safer to
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  store and transport. Here's a fun fact.
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  Diesel fuel gets its name from the inventor of the diesel
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  engine, Rudolph Diesel. He built the very first diesel
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  engine all the way back in the 1890s.
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  Petrol engines, on the other hand, were being developed
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  around the same time by inventors like Nikolaus Auto.
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  These early engines looked very different from the ones you see
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  today, but they helped start the age of cars, trucks and buses.
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  Let's talk about cost. Sometimes petrol is more
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  expensive than diesel, and sometimes diesel is more
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  expensive than petrol. It depends on where you live and
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  what's happening in the world. The price can change because of
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  things like how much crude oil is available, how much is being
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  used, and how much it costs to refine the oil into petrol or
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  diesel. Have you ever wondered why farm
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  tractors and construction vehicles often use diesel?
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  It's because diesel engines are really good at doing hard work
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  for a long time. They can pull heavy loads.
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  Dig and lift without getting tired.
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  Farmers and builders like diesel engines because they are strong
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  and reliable. Let's take a quick look at what
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  happens if you put the wrong fuel in a vehicle.
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  If you put petrol in a diesel engine or diesel in a petrol
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  engine, the engine can have big problems.
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  It might not start or it could be damaged.
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  That's why gas stations usually use different colored handles
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  for petrol and diesel pumps to help drivers remember which fuel
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  to use. Here's another Did you know
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  moment. In some countries, diesel
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  engines are very common in cars, while in other countries almost
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  all cars use petrol. For example, in Europe you'll
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  find many diesel cars, but in North America petrol cars are
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  much more popular. Let's talk about smells.
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  If you ever get a chance to smell petrol and diesel, you'll
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  notice they are very different. Petrol has a sharp, sweet smell
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  while diesel smells oilier and heavier.
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  Both should be handled carefully and you should never sniff them
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  on purpose because the fumes can be unhealthy.
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  Now you might be wondering which is better, petrol or diesel?
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  The answer is, it depends. If you want a car that is quiet,
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  quick to start and good for driving short distances, petrol
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  might be best. If you need a vehicle that can
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  carry heavy loads, travel long distances, and save on fuel,
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  diesel might be the better choice.
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  That's why we see both kinds of engines and fuels in the world.
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  Let's do a quick recap of what we've learned today.
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  Both petrol and diesel come from crude oil, but they're made
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  differently and work differently in engines.
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  Petrol engines use spark plugs to ignite the fuel, while diesel
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  engines use high pressure and heat.
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  Petrol engines are common in family cars and motorcycles.
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  Diesel engines are often used in trucks, buses, trains and ships.
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  Diesel engines are usually more fuel efficient, but they can be
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  heavier and noisier. Both types of engines release
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  pollution, but scientists are always working to make them
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  cleaner. Diesel is less flammable than
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  petrol, which can make it safer to handle.
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  Putting the wrong fuel in a vehicle can cause big problems,
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  so it's important to use the right one.
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  The cost of petrol and diesel can change depending on where
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  you live and other factors. Both petrol and diesel have
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  their own special uses, and each is important in its own way.
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  Thanks for joining us on Kit Cast Daily today.
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  The next time you see a car, truck or bus, you'll know a lot
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  more about what makes it go. Stay curious, keep asking
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  questions, and we'll see you next time.
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  For more fun facts and awesome discoveries, grab.
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  Your breakfast feeling fine? Adventures waiting.
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  Don't be late. Today's the day we celebrate.