Oil facts for kids
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An oil is a special type of chemical substance. It is mostly made of hydrocarbons. Oils do not mix with water, which means they are hydrophobic. But they mix well with other oils, making them lipophilic.
Oils are usually easy to burn. Most oils are also lipids that stay liquid at room temperature. The word "oil" covers many different types of chemicals. These can come from animals, plants, or even petrochemicals.
People use oils for many things. They are used in food, like olive oil. They can be used as fuel, such as heating oil. Oils also have medical uses, like mineral oil. They help machines work smoothly as lubrication, like motor oil. Oils are also important for making paints and plastics. Some special oils are even used in religious ceremonies.
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What "Oil" Means
The word oil first appeared in English in 1176. It comes from the Old French word oile. This word came from the Latin oleum. That word, in turn, came from the Greek word elaion, which meant "olive oil." The Greek word elaia meant "olive tree" or "olive fruit."
Different Kinds of Oils
Natural Oils from Living Things
Living things like plants and animals make many different kinds of oils. These are called organic oils. They are created through natural body processes. The scientific term for the fats and similar chemicals found in these oils is lipid.
Organic oils can also contain other chemicals. These include proteins, waxes, and other compounds. Lipids have a lot of carbon and hydrogen. They do not have much oxygen compared to other chemicals. This makes them not mix well with water.
Mineral Oils from the Earth
Crude oil, also known as petroleum, is a very important resource. It comes from ancient fossilized organic material. This material includes tiny sea creatures and algae. Over millions of years, natural processes turn them into oil.
The name "mineral oil" can be a bit confusing. Minerals are not the source of this oil. Instead, it comes from ancient plants and animals. So, mineral oil is actually organic. It's called "mineral oil" because its origin was not known when it was found. Also, it is found deep underground near rocks and sand.
How We Use Oils
Cooking with Oil
Cooking oils are used a lot in preparing food. Many foods are fried in oil, which gets much hotter than boiling water. Oils also add flavor to food. They can change how food feels when you eat it.
Cooking oils come from animal fats, like butter or lard. They also come from plants, such as olive oil, corn, and sunflower oil.
Oils for Beauty
People put oils on their hair. This can make hair look shiny. It can also help prevent tangles and roughness. Oils can make hair stronger and help it grow.
Oils in Religion
Oil has been used in religious practices for a long time. It is often seen as a way to make things spiritually pure. It is used for special ceremonies called anointing. For example, holy anointing oil was important in Judaism and Christianity.
Oils for Health
People have used oils for health since ancient times. Oils contain fats and can have medical benefits. Olive oil is a good example. It has many fats, which gave people energy in ancient Greece and Rome.
Olive oil was also used to clean the body back then. It would keep moisture in the skin. At the same time, it would pull dirt to the surface. It was like an early, simple soap. People would put it on their skin and then scrub it off with a wooden stick. This removed dirt and left a layer that was easy to wash off later.
Fish oils contain omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids can help reduce swelling in the body. They can also help lower fat in the bloodstream.
Oils for Painting
Color pigments mix easily with oil. This makes oil a great base for paints. The oldest known oil paintings are from 650 AD.
Oils for Heat Transfer
Oils are used to cool things down. For example, they cool electric transformers. Oils are also used for heating, like in oil heaters. They help move heat from one place to another.
Oils for Lubrication
Oils do not stick easily to other things. This makes them good for making machines run smoothly. They act as lubricants for many engineering uses. Mineral oils are often used more than natural oils for machines.
Whale oil was once used for lubricating clocks. It was good because it did not evaporate and leave dust. However, its use was banned in the US in 1980. There is a myth that spermaceti from whales was used in NASA projects. But spermaceti is mostly wax, not oil. Also, there is no proof NASA used whale oil.
Oils as Fuel
Some oils can burn to create light and heat. This energy can be used directly. Or it can be changed into electricity or mechanical work. To get many fuel oils, crude oil is pumped from the ground. It is then sent to an oil refinery by oil tanker or pipeline.
At the refinery, crude oil is turned into different fuels. These include diesel fuel, ethane, fuel oils, gasoline, jet fuel, and kerosene. A 42-gallon barrel of crude oil makes about 10 gallons of diesel. It also makes 4 gallons of jet fuel and 19 gallons of gasoline. The rest becomes other products.
In the 1700s and 1800s, whale oil was common for lamps. Later, natural gas and then electricity replaced it.
Oils for Making Chemicals
Crude oil can be broken down into many different hydrocarbons. These are called petrochemicals. They are used to make many products. These include detergents, fertilizers, medicines, paints, plastics, and synthetic fibers.
Natural oils are also important for making chemicals. This is especially true in green chemistry.
See also
In Spanish: Aceite para niños
- Emulsifier, a chemical that helps oil and water mix
