Amy is an avid reader who enjoys historical fiction. She also swims, plays piano, sketches, enjoys photography, and competes on a science bowl team. "It is my goal to help to improve the life quality of life of human beings."
Automobile engines guzzle billions of gallons of gasoline each year and emit immense amounts of carbon dioxide. Amy wondered whether octane ratings influenced carbon dioxide output and engine efficiency, both of which affect the environment. She hypothesized that high-octane premium gasoline would burn more efficiently than two lower-octane grades—plus and regular—or an ethanol blended gasoline. But she also hypothesized that the ethanol blend would produce less carbon dioxide than the others.
Amy used a 5.5 horsepower engine to test the four types of fuel, burning each fuel for 10 minutes on five occasions. In the efficiency test, she found that the engine needed less of the ethanol blend than any of the others to run for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Amy captured the airborne emissions from the burning fuel and used a carbon dioxide sensor to assess them. The results showed that premium gasoline indeed produced slightly less carbon dioxide than the lower-octane gasolines. But the ethanol blend produced much less carbon dioxide than any of them—roughly one-third as much as the premium gas.
