It consists mostly of 
organic compounds obtained by the 
fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain 
ethanol as an 
alternative fuel. In North America the term "gasoline" is often shortened in colloquial usage to "gas" but some people use the term "petrol". Under normal ambient conditions its material state is liquid, unlike 
liquefied petroleum gas or "natural gas".
Gasoline is more 
volatile than 
diesel oil,
 Jet-A, or 
kerosene, not only because of the base constituents, but also because of 
additives. Volatility is often controlled by blending with 
butane, which boils at -0.5 °C. The volatility of petrol is determined by the 
Reid vapor pressure (RVP) test. The desired volatility depends on the ambient temperature. In hot weather, petrol components of higher 
molecular weight and thus lower volatility are used. In cold weather, too little volatility results in cars failing to start.