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cassidy

ANOTHER urgent chemistry question!

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hey sorry to bug you all again but i have some questions, with some possible answers:

 

1. kerosene can be sprayed into water to kill mosquito larvae which breed in the water. what physical property of kerosene enables it to be used for this purpose?

 

- less dense than water and floats on the surface? do mozzies breed on the surface?

 

2. why isn't petrol suitable for spraying onto water to kill mosquitoes?

 

- more volatile than kerosene?

 

3. what physical property of oil makes it suitable for use in car engines?

 

- highly viscous?

- acts as an effective lubricant

 

the things we tested in this prac were the density, viscosity, and solubility of petrol, kerosene, and car oil. these are the most random questions, and i just want to check that i'm not being silly :bow:

Edited by cassidy

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"Next is kerosene, in the C12 to C15 range, followed by diesel fuel and heavier fuel oils (like heating oil for houses)." (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question105.htm)

 

"Carbon-14, or 14C, is a radioactive isotope of carbon discovered February 27, 1940, by Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben. Its nucleus contains 6 protons and 8 neutrons. Its presence in organic materials is used in radiocarbon dating." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon-14)

 

My guess is that it is partly made of radioactive C14, but C12 does not seem to be radioactive (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon-12), so I am not sure.

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1. kerosene can be sprayed into water to kill mosquito larvae which breed in the water. what physical property of kerosene enables it to be used for this purpose?

 

- less dense than water and floats on the surface? do mozzies breed on the surface?

Any time I try to find information on this, the mosquito killing... All come back with using kerosene lamps containing a small percentage of neem oil within the mixture.

 

Matter of fact it says on one site...

Treatment of Stagnant Water to Kill Larvae - Temephos (Abate) is a conventional insecticide that is available for larval mosquito control. Some refined petroleum distillates -- Arosurf MSF, GB-1356 and BVA-2 larviciding oil are also registered. Do not use diesel fuel, kerosene or motor oil. In areas where honeybees, fish and wildlife are of great concern, consider the following products for larval control: methoprene (Altosid), Bactimos (BTI) and Vectobac (BTI).

 

Not to mention it has a lot of other info too that may be helpful..

Mosquito control.. a Nebraska site

 

 

2. why isn't petrol suitable for spraying onto water to kill mosquitoes?

 

- more volatile than kerosene?

Keep in mind that petrol and kerosene are both toxic to humans and other animals. So spraying near a water source leaves a possibility of human or animal contact. It is like leaving ethylene glycol(aka Antifreeze) out where animals or children can ingest it.. very harmful. It can leech into the underground water as well.

 

 

3. what physical property of oil makes it suitable for use in car engines?

 

- highly viscous?

- acts as an effective lubricant

To both of your suggestions as answers, yes and yes

More than you ever wanted to know about motor oil

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