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Fossil fuels

Octane rating In a gasoline (petrol) internal combustion engine the fuel and air mixture is compressed and then ignited by the spark plug. This ignition occurs at the end of the compression stroke so that the pressure produced by the gaseous products forces the piston to move down. Compression alone can cause hydrocarbons to auto-ignite. If that happens before the piston has reached the end its compression stroke...

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