So specifically I’m interested in gas vs diesel, but I would love to learn further about the specific property that determines this. It’s obvious that an explosion occurs when pressure builds up, and when gas ignites, it propels outwards and expands, but why isn’t diesel like that? Why isn’t every flammable gas explosive in nature?
In: Chemistry
Everything that can oxidise is explosive under correct conditions. First you need what will “burn”, oxygen, then enough energy. Now you can choose whether you add energy, like with gasoline-air mixture with a spark to start the combustion. Or you can compress something under pressure until there is enough energy to combust.
What is important to understand is that if you compress something, it has the same amount of energy as it had before it was compressed, but in less space. But more energy in smaller space basically means that thing is hotter. Heat is just movement. If you compress it you get same amount of movement in smaller space.
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