Question

Which is the main constituent of the petroleum gas?
A. Methane
B. Ethane
C. Butane
D. Hexane

Answer 1

Hint: Petroleum gas is used in our daily lives as liquified petroleum gas or LPG. The mix of the compounds that constitute LPG have combustible properties and are mainly hydrocarbons. Name the compound that is found in the largest quantity in the mixture.

Complete step-by-step answer:
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in the liquid form is sold in cylinders for domestic use in the kitchen because of the controlled combustion properties of the compounds present in the petroleum gas. LPG also known as Autogas consists mainly of propane, propylene, butane, and butylene in various mixtures. The basic molecules which are present in petroleum are carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen etc. It is produced as a by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining.
The components of LPG are gases that evaporate under normal temperature and pressure. That is the reason they are stored in pressurised steel cylinders. Unlike natural gas, LPG is heavier than air, and it flows along floors in case of leakage. Because of this, they may get accumulated in a spot and cause explosion hazards.
The correct answer to this question is Butane, option C.
Additional information: Petroleum is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid found beneath the Earth's surface. Which is refined into various types of fuels. Components of petroleum are separated using a technique called fractional distillation. It consists of naturally occurring hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and organic compounds.

Note: The smell that you observe when the gas from the stove leaks is not the smell from any compounds in LPG. But, the compound, Ethyl Mercaptan, which has a distinctive unpleasant small, is added in order to identify a leak and report it immediately because of the explosion hazards posed.