Rajan Wilcox
API gravity, short for American Petroleum Institute gravity, is a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to water. It is used to determine the weight of petroleum liquids and is calculated based on the specific gravity of the liquid. The API gravity of a liquid is measured using a specially calibrated hydrometer and is calculated using the formula: API = (141.5 / SPGR) – 131.5, where SPGR is the specific gravity relative to water. API gravity values of most petroleum liquids fall between 10 and 70 degrees. Diesel fuel, in particular, typically has an API gravity of around 35.
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What You'll Learn
- API gravity is a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to water
- API gravity is calculated based on the specific gravity of the liquid
- The API gravity of diesel fuel is typically between 34 and 36
- The API gravity scale was created by the American Petroleum Institute
- API gravity can be used to calculate the number of barrels of crude oil per metric ton
API gravity is a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to water
API gravity, short for American Petroleum Institute gravity, is a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to water. It is a dimensionless quantity, but it is referred to as being in "degrees". API gravity values of most petroleum liquids fall between 10 and 70 degrees. If a petroleum liquid has an API gravity of more than 10, it is lighter and floats on water; if it has an API gravity of less than 10, it is heavier and sinks.
The API gravity of a liquid sample is determined using a hydrometer calibrated to read API gravity directly. The hydrometer is gently lowered into the sample contained in a cylindrical vessel and allowed to float freely until it reaches equilibrium. The API gravity is then read at the point where the surface of the liquid intersects the hydrometer scale. The hydrometer method is widely used due to its simplicity and low cost. However, it requires a relatively large sample volume and may not be suitable for highly viscous or opaque fluids.
The formula to calculate API gravity from specific gravity (SG) is: API gravity = (141.5/SG) – 131.5. Specific gravity is defined as the density relative to water at a standard temperature of 60°F (15.6°C). The official density of water at 60°F is 999.016 kg/m3 according to the 2008 edition of ASTM D1250. In some cases, the standard conditions may be 15°C (59°F), which would require a different value for water density.
API gravity is used to compare the densities of petroleum liquids. For example, if one petroleum liquid is less dense than another, it has a greater API gravity. Crude oil is classified as light, medium, or heavy according to its measured API gravity. Light crude oil has an API gravity higher than 31.1° (i.e., less than 870 kg/m3), medium oil has an API gravity between 22.3 and 31.1° (i.e., 870 to 920 kg/m3), and heavy crude oil has an API gravity below 22.3° (i.e., 920 to 1000 kg/m3). Oils with an API gravity of 40-45 command the highest market prices.
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API gravity is calculated based on the specific gravity of the liquid
API gravity is a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to water. It is an inverse measure of a petroleum liquid's density relative to that of water, also known as specific gravity. API gravity is calculated based on the specific gravity of the liquid.
The hydrometer method is a standard technique for directly measuring the API gravity of petroleum and petroleum products. This method is based on the principle of buoyancy and uses a specially calibrated hydrometer to determine the API gravity of a liquid sample. The hydrometer is gently lowered into the sample contained in a cylindrical vessel and allowed to float freely until it reaches equilibrium. The API gravity is then read at the point where the surface of the liquid intersects the hydrometer scale. The standard measuring temperature for API gravity is 15°C or 60°F.
The API gravity can also be calculated using the following formula: API = (141.5 / SPGR) – 131.5, where SPGR is the specific gravity of the liquid relative to the density of water at a given temperature. For example, if the density of water at 60°F is 999 kg/m³, then the specific gravity of a heavy oil with a density of 999 kg/m³ at 60°F is 1.0, and its API gravity is calculated as: API = (141.5 / 1) – 131.5 = 10° API.
The API gravity of diesel fuel specifically can vary depending on the grade of diesel fuel. For example, #2 diesel fuel typically has an API gravity of about 35.
API gravity is used extensively in the oil industry to measure the grade of crude oil products and to calculate the approximate number of barrels per metric ton of crude oil. Crude oil is also classified as light, medium, or heavy based on its API gravity. Light crude oil has an API gravity higher than 31.1°, medium oil has an API gravity between 22.3 and 31.1°, and heavy crude oil has an API gravity below 22.3°.
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The API gravity of diesel fuel is typically between 34 and 36
The API gravity of diesel fuel typically falls between 34 and 36. This measurement is taken at a temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. A higher API gravity indicates a lower density of fuel relative to water, and therefore a lighter fuel. Lighter fuels tend to have poorer fuel mileage.
API gravity, or American Petroleum Institute gravity, is a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to water. It is an inverse measure of a petroleum liquid's density relative to water, also known as specific gravity. It is calculated based on the specific gravity of the liquid, which is the density relative to that of water. The formula to calculate API gravity from specific gravity is: API = (141.5 / SPGR) – 131.5, where SPGR is the specific gravity of the liquid.
The API gravity of a liquid is typically measured using a hydrometer. The hydrometer is calibrated to read API gravity directly and is gently lowered into a cylindrical vessel containing the liquid sample, which has been brought to a standard temperature of 60°F (15.6°C). The API gravity is then read at the point where the surface of the liquid intersects the hydrometer scale.
The API gravity of diesel fuel is important to understand as it can affect the performance of diesel engines. For example, a lower API gravity indicates a heavier fuel that is harder to burn. The API gravity of diesel fuel can vary depending on factors such as temperature and grade. For instance, Grade 1-D diesel fuel has an API gravity of around 40, while Grade 2-D diesel fuel has an API gravity of around 35.
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The API gravity scale was created by the American Petroleum Institute
The API gravity scale, short for American Petroleum Institute gravity scale, is a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to water. It was created by the American Petroleum Institute to address the issues with the Baumé scale, which was the original technique used to measure the gravity of liquids. The Baumé scale was developed in France in 1768 and was officially accepted by the U.S. National Bureau of Standards in 1916. However, an investigation by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences found major errors in salinity and temperature controls that caused serious variations in published values. Specifically, hydrometers in the U.S. were manufactured with a modulus of 141.5 instead of the Baumé scale modulus of 140.
The API gravity scale is based on pure water, with an arbitrarily assigned API gravity of 10°. Liquids lighter than water, such as oil, have API gravities greater than 10, while those with API gravities less than 10 are heavier and sink. API gravity is thus an inverse measure of a petroleum liquid's density relative to that of water (also known as specific gravity). It is used to compare the densities of different petroleum liquids. For example, if one petroleum liquid is less dense than another, it has a greater API gravity. The API gravity scale is widely used across the globe, especially in the petroleum industry.
The API gravity of a liquid is determined using a specially calibrated hydrometer. The procedure involves bringing the petroleum sample to a standard temperature, usually 60°F (15.6°C), to ensure consistency across different samples and conditions. An appropriate API gravity hydrometer is then chosen based on the expected range of the sample. The hydrometer is gently lowered into the sample contained in a cylindrical vessel and allowed to float freely until it reaches equilibrium. The API gravity is then read at the point where the surface of the liquid intersects the hydrometer scale. This method is based on the principle of buoyancy.
The API gravity can also be calculated using a formula that relates it to the specific gravity of the liquid. The specific gravity or relative density of a liquid is first measured using either a hydrometer or the oscillating U-tube method. The specific gravity is defined by a formula that takes into account the density of water under standard conditions. The API gravity can then be derived from the specific gravity using the formula: API = (141.5/SPGR) – 131.5, where SPGR is the specific gravity relative to water. This formula accounts for the fact that API gravity is mathematically a dimensionless quantity, even though it is referred to as being in 'degrees'.
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API gravity can be used to calculate the number of barrels of crude oil per metric ton
API gravity, short for American Petroleum Institute gravity, is a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to water. If a liquid has an API gravity of more than 10, it is considered light and floats on water; if the liquid’s API gravity is less than 10, it is considered heavy and sinks. API gravity is an inverse measure of a petroleum liquid's density relative to water (also known as specific gravity).
API gravity is used to compare the densities of petroleum liquids. For example, if one petroleum liquid is less dense than another, it has a greater API gravity. The standard measuring temperature is 15°C or 60°F.
The API gravity of a liquid sample can be determined using a specially calibrated hydrometer. The hydrometer is gently lowered into the sample contained in a cylindrical vessel and allowed to float freely until it reaches equilibrium. The API gravity is then read at the point where the surface of the liquid intersects the hydrometer scale.
API gravity can be used to calculate the approximate number of barrels of crude oil per metric ton. The formula for this calculation is:
> {\displaystyle {\text{barrels of crude oil per metric ton}}={\frac {{\text{API gravity}}+131.5}{141.5\times 0.159}}}
For example, a metric ton of West Texas Intermediate (39.6° API) has a volume of approximately 7.6 barrels.
Regarding diesel fuel, sources suggest that #2 diesel fuel has a minimum API gravity of 26 or 30, with a reasonable estimate for typical #2 diesel fuel being 35.
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Frequently asked questions
API gravity is short for American Petroleum Institute gravity, a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to water. The higher the API gravity, the lighter the fuel.
The API gravity of diesel fuel varies depending on its grade. Grade 1-D diesel has an API gravity of around 40, while Grade 2-D diesel has an API gravity of around 35. A "good" API gravity for diesel is considered to be between 34 and 36.
API gravity is measured using a specially calibrated hydrometer at a standard temperature of 60°F (15.6°C). The hydrometer is lowered into a sample of the petroleum product and the API gravity is read at the point where the surface of the liquid intersects the hydrometer scale.
The formula to calculate API gravity from specific gravity is: API = (141.5 / SG) - 131.5, where SG is the specific gravity of the liquid. Conversely, the specific gravity of a liquid can be calculated from its API gravity using the formula: SG = 141.5 / (API + 131.5).
