API gravity measures which of the following?

API gravity measures which of the following?

• A. The density of petroleum liquids
• B. The viscosity of petroleum liquids
• C. The color of petroleum liquids
• D. The flammability of petroleum liquids

Answer: (A)

API gravity measures how dense a petroleum liquid is relative to water. It tells you whether the oil is light or heavy: higher API gravity means lighter oil with lower density than water, while lower API gravity means heavier oil with higher density. It's calculated from the oil’s specific gravity at 60°F, using API gravity = (141.5 / SG60) − 131.5. This concept focuses on density, not viscosity, color, or flammability, which is why it’s used to classify crude oils and predict processing behavior.

API gravity measures how dense a petroleum liquid is relative to water. It tells you whether the oil is light or heavy: higher API gravity means lighter oil with lower density than water, while lower API gravity means heavier oil with higher density. It's calculated from the oil’s specific gravity at 60°F, using API gravity = (141.5 / SG60) − 131.5. This concept focuses on density, not viscosity, color, or flammability, which is why it’s used to classify crude oils and predict processing behavior.