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Question

Difficulty: MediumProperties of Fluids

A mechanic pours four common automotive fluids into a clear, tall recovery cylinder. Assuming they do not mix and are allowed to settle completely into distinct layers, arrange the fluids in order from the TOP layer to the BOTTOM layer.

  1. 1Gasoline
  2. 2SAE 30 Engine Oil
  3. 3Fresh Water
  4. 4Ethylene Glycol (Antifreeze)

Answer

The correct order from the top layer to the bottom layer is: Gasoline, SAE 30 Engine Oil, Fresh Water, and finally Ethylene Glycol (Antifreeze).
When immiscible fluids are mixed and allowed to settle, they separate into distinct layers based on their specific gravity. The fluid with the lowest specific gravity (gasoline, ~0.73) will float on top. Engine oil (~0.88) comes next, floating on the fresh water (1.0). Ethylene glycol antifreeze (~1.11) is the densest fluid of the group and will sink to the very bottom.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the physical property that determines how fluids layer.
Fluids layer based on their density or specific gravity. The least dense fluid floats on top, and the most dense fluid sinks to the bottom.
Buoyancy dictates that lighter fluids will displace heavier ones downwards.
2
Recall the relative specific gravities of the listed automotive fluids.
Gasoline is the lightest (SG ~0.73), followed by engine oil (SG ~0.88), fresh water (SG 1.0), and ethylene glycol antifreeze (SG ~1.11).
Understanding the density of common mechanical fluids is necessary for diagnosing leaks and fluid separation.
3
Arrange the fluids according to their specific gravity from lowest (top) to highest (bottom).
Gasoline, Engine Oil, Water, Antifreeze.
This matches the instruction to order from the top layer to the bottom layer.

Key Concept

Density and Specific Gravity
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Topics

Properties of Fluids

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