It consists mostly of
organic compounds obtained by the
fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain
ethanol as an
alternative fuel. In North America the term "gasoline" is often shortened in colloquial usage to "gas" but some people use the term "petrol". Under normal ambient conditions its material state is liquid, unlike
liquefied petroleum gas or "natural gas".
Gasoline is more
volatile than
diesel oil,
Jet-A, or
kerosene, not only because of the base constituents, but also because of
additives. Volatility is often controlled by blending with
butane, which boils at -0.5 °C. The volatility of petrol is determined by the
Reid vapor pressure (RVP) test. The desired volatility depends on the ambient temperature. In hot weather, petrol components of higher
molecular weight and thus lower volatility are used. In cold weather, too little volatility results in cars failing to start.