In everyday life, chances are you only see fire where there's air. Still, there's a slightly surrealistic concept that intrigued me: Fire in a liquid. The liquid plays the role of the oxidant, and anything submerged can be the fuel. The liquid is of course consumed and transformed, but doesn't combust itself.

 

Is this ever possible with any combination of chemicals? As far as I know, there's no material that can burn under water as we know it... typical fire reqiures oxygen. On the other side, fluids that do combust get ignited themselves... so starting a fire in a gas tank causes the whole tank to blow up. But is there ever a middle way? Is there any fluid inside which you can light a match and start a fire, the flame being fed by the fluid like normal fire is maintained by oxygen?

Update - I just saw a video which confirms one way in which this is possible. Objects can apparently burn in liquid oxygen, similar to how they burn in gas oxygen. Now I wonder what would happen if someone attempted to spark a flame in a block of solid oxygen

Edited April 25, 201411 yr by MirceaKitsune

 

Very nice! I didn't hope that any fuel could actually burn in water, was thinking of special liquids mostly. Physics can do so many amazing things.