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Buying a car can often be a huge decision. Whether you want a conservative car or a hot sporty car, there are things that you, the buyer, should always look out for. Whatever it is, it could impact your life. This list should help potential car buyers to shop smartly.

1. Check for a warranty. This goes for new and used cars. Warranties are invaluable! If you buy a car with a very short warranty or no warranty at all, you could have to end up paying for a lot of repairs.
2. Get something you like. You need to make sure you get a vehicle that you like and will be happy with for a long time. For most people, you cannot simply turn around three months later if you don’t like the car you are getting. Remember to put a lot of thought into your choice.
3. Pick a good color. This is kind of common sense, but get a color that you like. I’d recommend to stay away from red cars, because almost all insurance companies charge extra for having a red car and speeding tickets are much more common in red cars (not that people that drive red cars speed more, just that they get noticed more.
4. Gas economy/efficiency. What more needs to be said? Gas prices are getting higher and higher which means your MPG (miles per gallon) is becoming more and more important. Maybe pick a sporty sedan instead of a gas guzzling SUV.
5. Consider what you will be using it for. If you are a working mother of three, you might want to get a minivan so that you can drive the kids around. If you are a single 25 year old guy buying his first new car, you might want to get a hot convertible. Functionality of the car you are picking is paramount. Get what you will use, nothing more and nothing less.
6. Shop around. Far too many people see a car that they like at the first dealer they stop at and impulse buy. DO NOT do this. You may be wasting your money. Even if you are very sure you found the car you wanted, continue shopping. Make note of all the cars that you like and then sit down and make a “pros and cons” list of all of them (basically what’s good and what’s bad about each of them).
7. Don’t be afraid to go used. Sometimes you can find a used car comparable to the new one that you wanted for a significantly lower price. It is not uncommon to find a used car in great condition with low mileage and a good warranty.
8. Keep price in mind. Do not buy something that will strain your budget. I recommend sitting down BEFORE you ever go out to buy a car and make a list of your net income and your net expenses. Figure out how much money you can spend on a monthly basis and still have a reasonable amount of fluid or “spending” money. Buy based on this budget.
9. Get a cosigner and make a down payment. You can get a better interest rate if you have someone cosign your loan. Make sure this is someone you trust, and someone that has good credit. Also if you make a sizable down payment you can have lower monthly payments which are always nice.
10. Ask relentless questions and take a friend with you. Ask about anything and everything dealing with the car you are interested in buying. Ask about things like the safety rating, gas mileage/efficiency, bundled features, etc. Also if you take a friend car shopping with you, they can help ask questions that you may not think to ask, plus it will make it less boring.

I hope these tips help you when you go to buy a new car. Vehicles and transportation are an important part of our daily lives and picking a good car for yourself is a very important decision. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.

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The Composition of Petroleum

The composition of petroleum is not simple, but not too complex. I hope you have a high understanding off minerals, chemicals, compounds, elements, etc…because you’ll need it.

Hydrocarbons in crude oil are mostly aromatic hydrocarbons, alkanes, and other cycloalkanes, while the other organic compounds contain oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen, and slight amounts of metals. These metals include: copper, nickel, vanadium, and iron. The precise molecular composition depends on the formation.

Crude oil most of the time is either dark brown or black in color. Usually it is found in “co-herts” with natural gas. This natural gas which is lighter forms a gas cap over the petroleum. The saline water which is heavier generally floats below the petroleum. Sometimes Crude oil can be seen “merged” with sand; half and half. For example: in the oil sands in Canada. A fun side-note is that in Canada, they call it bitumen.

Petroleum’s two most important uses are producing fuel oil and gasoline (usually referred to as “gas”). These are both high priority energy sources. A large percentage of the hydrocarbons in petroleum are converted into energy fuels. These energy fuels include: liquefied petroleum gas, diesel, jet, heating, other fuel oils, and gasoline.

Because petroleum is so useful for energy, it has become the item of highest demand. People around the world believe that they need petroleum…

Petroleum (the source of a lot of the energy in this world) is usually found in porous rock formations (rocks with holes) in the upper strata of certain areas of the Earth’s crust. There is petroleum in oil sands as well. Consumption of petroleum is currently around 90 million barrels (13.4×10⁶ m³) per day. Multiply that by the number of days in a year…and that’s one heck of a lot of petroleum. At the current consumption levels, and after the assumption that oil will only be taken from reservoirs, known recoverable reserves will be gone around 2039. This potentially could lead to a global energy crisis, today known as the “Global Warming Threat”. Of course this is all relative, and depending on situations, the demand for petroleum could increase or decrease…

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