Money Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 i kno its ounds stupid but wat is fire really is it pure energy? a gas? wat is it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphus Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 The process of burning is chemically bonding with oxygen in a rapid, self-sustaining reaction. The flame itself is the region where much of the reaction takes place between vaporized particles of the burning substance and airborne oxygen, which gives off enough energy to release photons in the visible spectrum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insane_alien Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 to correct sisyphus, it is a plasma, not a gas. they are similar but distinct phases. there are also photons emitted by the molecules themselves as they react and not just due to blackbody radiation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Money Posted September 7, 2007 Author Share Posted September 7, 2007 if its burning O2 that causes the flame why every time someone uses a lighter or makes a fire the whole atmosphere goes aflame Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphus Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 If the O2 concentration were a lot higher, it would. But also remember it's not the oxygen that's burning, it's the fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest026 Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 i used to wonder all the time 'till i saw it on tv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insane_alien Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 if its burning O2 that causes the flame why every time someoneuses a lighter or makes a fire the whole atmosphere goes aflame Well, the reaction requires more than one chemical. not only does it require an oxidiser(oxygen in this case) but it also requires a fuel(butane in this case) now, since the fuel is only in the lighter and released slowly opposed to being spread evenly throughout the atmosphere, the atmosphere will not blow up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT2095 Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 a strange way to think about it is that if you were in a room full of pure Butane, you would need to fill your Lighter with Air in order to make it work the simple way to describe fire is gases so hot that they Glow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realitycheck Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 It is a form of butane oxide that exists in plasma form, correct? Right before it dissipates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drilon Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 I might be out of line here but I think you should really check this image since we are talking about fire. Its the image of the Fire in Zero Gravity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Candlespace.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quantoman Posted September 9, 2007 Share Posted September 9, 2007 it would probably disburse into miniscule particles in sphere shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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