How Much Do You Know About Gasoline?

By: Tasha Moore
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
How Much Do You Know About Gasoline?
Image: Gu / Cultura / Getty Images

About This Quiz

It's time to sort out some gasoline facts with our petrol test. See how much you know about the liquid treasure we extract from the Earth daily. Our quiz covers fuel science, legislation, head-scratching oil actualities and more. We uncover some reasons why gasoline has been and will always be a coveted commodity.

Entire countries, cities and towns were built on the economic sustenance that oil brings. Crude oil discoveries are just as essential to the tale of American origins as the Gold Rush. Gasoline is a byproduct of the black gold known as crude oil. Not only is the liquid one of the most sought-after resources on Earth, but there are booming derivative industries, such as transport, maintenance and storage, that exist because of it. Biodiesel fuels are not only an alternative fuel source to regular condensed gas products but in pollution-prone zones, natural energy sources are necessities.

Pumping fuel into their car's tank is the most that some people ever care to acknowledge regarding the existence of gasoline. But there is so much to know about the exciting world of petrol, and we've filtered useful facts to expand your crude-oil know-how. Gain a better understanding of where the world is headed in the gasoline energy lane. Allow our quiz to help you grasp the power of fuel! 

Do you know which type of natural disaster has caused some of the worst gasoline shortages in U.S. history?
Hurricane
Earthquake
Flood
Tornado
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After Hurricane Sandy hit heavily-populated areas in New York City on October 29, 2012, the devastating storm caused a severe gasoline shortage that the United States had not experienced since the '70s. The storm damaged oil refineries and significantly increased risks of fuel contamination and poisoning.

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Which kind of gasoline is effective at reducing smog?
Low vapor pressure
Reformulated
Crude oil
Kerosene
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

For reducing smog, reformulated gasoline is two to four times more beneficial for minimizing environmental smog. Reformulated gasoline is void of elements that cause pollutants in automobile exhaust. Also, the refined fuel fosters engine combustion efficiency.

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Can you name the United States legislation that was intended to lower fuel emissions from new cars?
Clean Air Act 1889
Clean Air Act 1963
Clean Air Act 1906
Clean Air Act 1762
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After the United States government controlled gasoline lead content by way of authority as defined in Clean Air Act Amendments legislation, lead air emissions in the U.S. dropped by 98% from 1970 to 1990. Leaded gasoline was prohibited in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments.

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Can you choose the U.S. state that was first to require that diesel fuel contain 2% biodiesel?
Minnesota
Texas
Louisiana
Virginia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota signed 2005 legislation that demanded the standard. Biodiesel is a fuel alternative that's made mostly from soybeans, which are the state's biggest agricultural export.

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Can you pick the U.S. city that received the 2018 Climate Leader Award from the National Biodiesel Board?
Chicago
New York
Detroit
Seattle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Seattle, Washington received the 2018 honor for a number of reasons, including enacting the 2014 Green Action Fleet Plan with the intent of reducing carbon emissions in the city by more than 40% by the year 2020. National Biodiesel Board selects annual winners of the "Eye on Biodiesel" award.

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What natural element helps gasoline to burn better?
Carbon
Oxygen
Sulfur
Nitrogen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Starting in the winter of 1992 from November to March, over 30 cities in the United States that had been plagued with carbon-monoxide issues were required to use oxygenated gasoline. U.S. refiners use ethanol and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) to oxygenate conventional gasoline.

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Of these options, which illness that is not linked to gasoline emissions?
Influenza
Asthma
Leukemia
Cardiovascular disease
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sulfur-containing fuels burned by diesel engines emit sulfur dioxide which narrows air passages and causes respiratory problems. A 2018 study published in "The British Journal of Cancer" suggests that maternal exposure to "gasoline or exhaust" increases the risk of childhood leukemia in offspring.

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Which term is used to describe severe air pollution of one major European city?
London fog
Paris haze
Berlin fog
Vienna mist
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Through winter months of the 19th and early 20th centuries, London, England was beset with acute air pollution from fossil fuels with high sulfur content. The problem resulted in the 1952 London smog disaster that was responsible for many deaths (ranging from 4,000 to 12,000, depending on sources).

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Can you identify the natural crop that is a significant source for biodiesel fuel?
Corn
Chickpeas
Cassava
Papaya
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the portion of yearly corn crop designated to biodiesel fuels has more than tripled to 5.223 billion bushels. The increase is a result of the federal mandate requiring that U.S. fuel be mixed with the clean-burning fuel, a plan that started in 2005.

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Try to guess which one of these options is not a biodiesel fuel?
Ethanol
Crude oil
Isobutanol
Biogas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most people who live in high-pollution reformulated gasoline areas and want ethanol-free gasoline for smaller engines have to purchase little containers of standard gasoline, which costs as much as $28 a gallon. Ethanol attracts water, which damages small engines.

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Among these choices, can you choose the principal mode for petroleum and oil intercontinental transports?
Underground pipeline
Airplane tank
Land truck
Marine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Environmentally and socioeconomically devastating marine oil spills such as the Exxon Valdez incident of 1989 rarely occur. However, smaller marine spills from petroleum and oil shipments are frequent.

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Do you recognize the major oil spill that took place in Alaska's Prince William Sound?
Nowruz
Exxon Valdez
Jakob Maersk
Tarball
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Prince William Sound oil spill happened when the Exxon Valdez ran aground in 1989, and the region is still recuperating from the catastrophe. In three years, Exxon funneled an estimated $2 billion for cleanup but only recovered 7% of the spillage.

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Are you confident that you know the correct year that the Hebei Spirit oil spill took place?
1993
1942
2001
2007
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In December 2007, the Hebei Spirit oil spill occurred in the West Coast region of the Korean peninsula. A 2018 study in the "International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health" shows a link between the effects of the spill and increased rates of cancer incidences in the region.

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Do you choose the correct term for the natural substance found in the Earth that is used as fuel?
Lava
Water
Crude oil
Olive oil
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gasoline is processed from unrefined crude oil. The high viscosity of the fuel poses major fuel transportation problems, such as drag, which is pressure loss that occurs inside oil pipelines from the friction of agitated flow that necessitates increased energy utilization for oil transport and pumping.

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How well do you understand the main chemical compounds found in petroleum?
Phosphates
Nitrates
Hydrocarbons
Chlorides
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbon compounds can range from light hydrocarbon mixtures, such as that found in methane, or large hydrocarbon chemical compounds. Varying chemical consistencies of hydrocarbons determine the level of viscosity, or thickness, of petroleum.

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Try to quickly select the product that is not derived from petroleum?
Fuel oil
Diesel
Iced tea
Home heating oil
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, it's estimated that one in five households use heating oil during the winter. Homeowners with home heating oil tanks should regularly inspect both outdoor and indoor storage tanks for leaks, which can contaminate drinking water and cause fires or explosions.

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Can you identify the option that is not a method for storing or transporting refined petroleum products?
Underground pipe
High-pressure cauldron
Pump station
Above-ground tank
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Buckeye Pipeline LP maintains the only cross-state petroleum pipeline in the state of Pennsylvania. The company's Laurel pipeline transports petroleum from oil refineries at the Delaware River to serve Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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Do you know where a catastrophic gasoline pipeline explosion occurred in January 2019?
Mexico
United States
France
Israel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The fatal January 18, 2019 gasoline pipeline explosion occurred in Mexico in the state of Hidalgo, which lies approximately 73 miles north of Mexico City. Investigators believe the explosion was caused by thieves who had tapped the pipeline illegally.

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Do you know the country that has the second-largest fuel market for gas stations?
China
Peru
Kenya
Japan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

China has 90,000 consumer gas stations. The country's state-owned oil company, Sinopec, controls one-third of China's gas stations. China provinces of Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu and Guangdong accommodate more gas stations than other provinces.

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Is it a challenge for you to guess the aggregate annual revenue of the U.S. gas-station industry?
$140 billion
$60 billion
$50 million
$1 billion
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The gas-station industry in the U.S. comprises nearly 14,200 locations. The price of petroleum and driving volume significantly influence the demand for fuel and fuel consumption. The annual revenue of the U.S. gas-station industry does not include stations that also function as convenience shops.

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Are you sure that you know the type of fuel that commercial vehicles primarily use?
Diesel
Unleaded premium
Unleaded regular
Unleaded mid-grade
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Truck stops typically sell diesel fuel, while regular gas stations sell a range of fuel products, including diesel fuel, unleaded regular fuel, unleaded premium gas and unleaded mid-grade fuel. Between 2010 and 2016, the price of regular unleaded in the U.S. ranged from around $4 to less than $2 per gallon.

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Can you figure out the name of the gas-station apparatus that prevents fumes from escaping into the atmosphere?
Biochemical relapse
Gas fumes reboot
Fumigation system
Vapor recovery systems
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Vapor recovery systems at gas stations connect tanks and pump nozzles. Steel or fiberglass underground storage tanks lessen ground contamination and fuel leakage. Laws that regulate storage tanks may require expensive equipment upgrades that can put smaller gas stations out of business.

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The degree to which gas-station pump readings correlate to the exact amount of gasoline pumped is called the ________?
Gas-station factor
Fuel factor
Pump accuracy
Pump factor
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gas stations are fined by their respective U.S. states for poor pump accuracy rates. Almost all gas stations provide self-service pumping on multiple station islands that are connected to underground storage tanks.

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During the 1970s, which U.S. city experienced an oil boom?
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Evanston, Wyoming
Missoula, Montana
Butte, Montana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Natural gas and oil discoveries in the city of Evanston attracted droves of workers to the area, turning the small town into an oil boom town in the '70s. Evanston is located on the extreme Southwestern edge of the state, near Utah.

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Can you guess the oil produced from a type of rock fragment?
Shale oil
Avocado oil
Vegetable oil
Castor oil
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 2018, the U.S. began a shale boom that's expected to transform one of the world's biggest consumers of oil imports into a fossil-fuel net exporter. The International Energy Agency speculates that by 2025, U.S. oil production will equal that reached by Saudi Arabia at the pinnacle of its oil surge.

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Can you name the 2009 U.S. legislation which requires that all consumer gasoline containers be equipped with child-resistant spouts?
Spills Are For Kids Act
Childhood Burns Act
Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act
Prevent Kid Spills Act
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The gasoline industry mandates that all products used with oil containers are required to adhere to child safety standards. These precautions minimize the risks of gas fume inhalation, accidental spills and poisoning from ingestion.

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Are you aware of the number of people in the United States who are treated for gasoline burn injuries every year?
55,000
170,050
14,000
1,630
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Safety experts insist that gasoline spills can occur at modern gas stations that have prevention mechanisms in place. When manually fueling gas-powered machines, turn off engines before opening gas containers, since a running engine can ignite gas fumes or liquid.

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Do you name the term the highway safety experts have given gasoline tankers?
Big rigs
Tractor factors
Rolling bombs
Gas guzzlers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Due to a narrow wheelbase and a high center of gravity, a large number of gasoline tankers roll over, causing major fiery accidents on U.S. highways each year. Conventional tankers can haul thousands of gallons of gasoline at a time.

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How easy is it for you to spot the Russian state-controlled oil company among the choices?
Exxon Mobil
Rosneft
BP
Vitol
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rosneft Oil Company participates in most aspects of the gasoline business. The company facilitates major oil exploration enterprises in the Russian Far East, the Volga and Ural regions, Timon Pechora, Krasnodar and Siberia.

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Can you guess the name of Russia's largest energy company?
Addox Petroleum
Transneft
RWE
Mercuria Energy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Moscow-based Transneft is one of the largest providers of oil transportation in the world. Transneft's lines are piped through western Russia to East Siberia. The state-owned company manages over 31,000 trunk pipelines, and it also specializes in oil storage services.

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Are you able to name the world's fourth-largest oil producer?
Costa Rica
Mexico
Canada
Indonesia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most of Canada's oil exports are sent to the United States. Canada remains the third-largest oil exporter in the world, in spite of delivery, pricing and infrastructure challenges. Kelt Exploration, ARC Resources and Seven Generations Energy are several top oil firms in Western Canada.

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Among these choices, do you choose the biggest oil-producing nation on the African continent?
Ethiopia
Morocco
Nigeria
Tanzania
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nigeria produces 2.1 million barrels of crude oil daily. Angola is the second-biggest oil producer on the African continent, producing 1.68 barrels per day. A daily yield of 1.2 million oil barrels ranks Algeria as the third-largest producer of African oil.

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Try to choose the U.S. state that produces the most oil annually?
Ohio
Idaho
Texas
Oklahoma
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 2018, Texas produced 1.54 billion barrels of oil in 2018. That same year, North Dakota produced 443 million barrels, New Mexico yielded 226 million barrels, Oklahoma supplied 187 million oil barrels and Alaska ranked fifth, producing 175 million barrels.

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On average, how many barrels of oil are produced daily by the world's top three producers?
64 million
33 million
3 million
12 million
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Russia, the United States and Saudi Arabia are the world's top-three oil producers. Global consumption of oil averages at 100 million barrels per day. In 2018, the United States surpassed Russia's output, having produced 11.6 million oil barrels, which was a record.

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Of these options, can you choose the United States county that is not a top producer of oil?
McKenzie County
Lea County
Los Angeles County
Weld County
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Based on August 2018 estimates, McKenzie County, North Dakota produced the most oil in the U.S. with 14.8 million barrels per month. Weld County, Colorado came in second at 12.5 million monthly oil barrels, and Lea County, New Mexico ranked third after producing 12 million barrels.

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Gu / Cultura / Getty Images