lighting a match outside the atmosphere

[.:azurite:.]

well i was just sitting outside and i just came to think if you could light a match in space. Wouldn't this be not possible since a flame needs oxygen to burn and the atmosphere affects the flames color. And since space is like a vacumne without any oxygen, wouldnt this be impossible? Just a question that was bothering me. i really dont know as much as you guys do, but i'm hoping i can learn from you guys.

please correct me if i'm wrong.

[JustStuit]

Correct - a fire needs oxygen and could not be lit in space. There are probably other less fundamental reasons too.

[.:azurite:.]

wow kool. lol i never thought that i would've been partly correct

[YT2095]

well consider that the pyro composition in the match head contains its own Oxygen locked up in the Perchlorate molecule ClO4 the question is more difficult than that of face value!

 

the wooden stick wouldn`t sustain a flame no, but the match head???

it Should decompose.

 

something like that you`de need to test, an evacuated bell jar with a match head and a hotwire should work

 

 

my prediction is that it will still burn untill all the oxygen in the ClO4 is consumed, otherwise crushed matchheads with a hotwire underwater wouldn`t explode

[Bluenoise]

Is there a possibility that the vacume may put the flame away after the initial spark in such a manner that it would not be able to sustain the heat necessary to ignite the rest of the match head?

[jdurg]

Not likely. In fact, the presence of the vaccuum may cause the decomposition to occur more rapidly as the gases that are created would be dispersed much quicker pushing the equillibrium of the reaction further to the right.