Butane is one of the gases in the Alkane family. It has a carbon number of 4 and a hydrogen number of 10. In some cases, butane might be a gas, and in others, liquid. This is because butane is a gas at room temperature but can easily be liquefied.
However, if it returns to the condition of room temperature, it can also vaporize very quickly. The gas is highly unstable and also very flammable. Perhaps you want to know how much agallon of butane would weigh; then you will find out here.
How much does a gallon of butane weigh? A gallon of butane gas will weigh approximately 5 pounds. This also means 2 gallons of the same gas weigh about 10 pounds. Do you want to know how I arrived at this value? If yes, read on with me.
Before you can find a gas’s or liquid’s weight, you must convert its volume first. In this case, butane is represented in a gallon which is also a unit of volume. One gallon of butane equals approximately 5 pounds. You can also convert this figure to kilograms if you wish.
What weighs more, one gallon of butane or one gallon of water?
A gallon is a unit of volume; therefore, converting it to weight will depend on one crucial factor; density. If we were to find out which weighs more in a ton of bricks and feathers, both would weigh the same since “ton” is a unit of weight.
Before an object can be called a ton, it must have reached the value required to be called a “ton.” Therefore, a ton of bricks and feathers would weigh the same. However, this principle does not apply to gallons as a unit of volume.
A gallon is a unit of volume; therefore, the one that weighs more will be the one with greater density. In water and butane, which is the denser fluid? Water has a density of 1000kg/m³, while butane has a density of 573kg/m³. From this, we can tell that the denser fluid would be water.
We have concluded that one gallon of butane weighs approximately 5 pounds. It is very easy to convert this figure to kilograms. Both pounds and kilograms are standard units for weights and are easily converted to one another. However, there is a basis for that.
One kilogram equals 2.2 pounds; therefore, 5 pounds equals (5÷2.2) 2.27 kilograms. Since converting from pounds to kilograms, you must divide your value by 2.2. For example, if we convert 22 pounds to kilograms, we would have 10 kilograms.
Judging from this, one gallon of butane weighing 5 pounds would also weigh 2.27 kilograms. Likewise, two gallons of butane would weigh approximately 10 pounds and 4.55 kilograms.
How much does one gallon of water weigh?
Now that we know how much a gallon of butane weighs, we should also find out how much exactly one gallon of water weighs. Remember that a gallon is a unit of volume, so the parameters involved would depend on the volume. However, I have made that easy by giving you a base conversion.
One gallon of water weighs approximately 8.35 pounds. This serves as a primary conversion point. For example, if you want to find out how much 2 gallons of water is, you will multiply it by 8.35 pounds, then you will have 16.7 pounds. Therefore, 2 gallons of water weigh 16.7 pounds.
Likewise, converting the unit in pounds back to kilograms. You use the same formula I gave above. Since kilograms and pounds are both a measure of weight, it does not matter what substance is involved. 2 pounds of water weigh the same as 2 pounds of butane.
That said, if you want to determine how much 8.35 pounds is in kilograms, divide it by 2.2. Therefore, 8.35 pounds of water equals 3.4 kilograms.
How much does 1 liter of butane weigh?
A gallon is different from a liter; however, both units measure a substance’s volume. Therefore, they can be easily converted to each other. In a gallon, you can find approximately 3.8 liters. The figure is not an exact amount but is simply an estimate.
If we follow this, we can find how many pounds aliter of butane will weigh by dividing the weight of a gallon by 3.8. Since one gallon of butane weighs 5 pounds, 1 liter of the gas will weigh (5÷3.8) 1.32 pounds. It is as easy as that.
Likewise, if we are to find how much a liter of water will weigh from a gallon. Since a gallon of water weighs approximately 8.35 pounds, then a liter of water will weigh (8.35÷3.8) 2.2 pounds. This figure also equals the standard 1 kg of water, the same as 1 liter.
From the above, one liter of butane will weigh 1.32 pounds, while one liter of water will weigh 2.2 pounds. It is also proof that water will always weigh more than butane, even if it is of equal volume.
Wrapping Up
Butane is a very light gas; it is one of the lightest gases ever known. Thanks to its properties, it has so many applications across various industries. Butane is fuel for cigarette lighters and stoves, a propellant in aerosols, a refrigerant, and many more.
Butane is also a major cooking gas component, known as Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG). Its usage as a fuel in aerosols like shaving creams and deodorants accounts for their exceptionally lightweight and high flammability.
