An octane rating, or octane number, is a standard measure of a fuel's ability to withstand compression in an internal combustion engine without undergoing pre-ignition. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating. Octane rating does not relate directly to the power output or the energy content of the fuel per unit mass or volume, but simply indicates gasoline's resistance to detonating under pressure without a spark.
A US gasoline station pump offering five different (R+M)/2 octane ratings
Gas stations have gasoline with different octane ratings. Higher numbers indicate that the fuel can better avoid unintended combustions within pistons.
A 1940s US propaganda poster using the term "octane" to emphasise power.
Gasoline or petrol is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When formulated as a fuel for engines, gasoline is chemically composed of organic compounds derived from the fractional distillation of petroleum and later chemically enhanced with gasoline additives. It is a high-volume profitable product produced in crude oil refineries.
Gasoline in a glass jar
An American metallic gas can lists capacity in three measures: U.S. gallon, Imperial gallon, and liters
A modern gasoline container is made of colored, plastic material that does not rust, whilst the red color exclusively identifies a fuel container.
A pumpjack in the United States