Sitting beside a campfire, staring into the burning pyre, you may have pondered over the nature of the fire… ‘Why is it so appealing? The energy that is released by this chemical reaction produces what we call fire. Actually if u could frame the question in a different way, u will get the answer. The best way to feed oxygen into a fire is to draw oxygen up through it (in the same way as a chimney does) A hollow elder tube used to blow air into a fire The effects of a chimney So, what will you do with the $600 you'll be getting as a stimulus check after the Holiday? All rights reserved. Any flame requires three ingredients: oxygen, fuel and heat. And why oxygen alone is used is because of the reason it needs to be oxidized to attain a stable state ( Really sorry, but i think this might be the answer) and is naturally an irreversible process. Ok, im going to be as simple as i can with this one. Since gaseous oxygen is abundant in Earth’s atmosphere, it often becomes the primary oxidizing agent for most fires. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by e-mail. fire The burning of some fuel, creating a flame that releases light and heat. Weekly updates to help you use Science News for Students in the learning environment. Enter your e-mail address above. the organic material in the candle gets combusted. The fuel and oxygen molecules have a chemical reaction during combustion and produce heat to allow more molecules to also react. Almost anything can burn, but some fuels have a far higher flash point — the temperature at which they’ll ignite — than others. Lacking even one, a fire won’t burn. Join Yahoo Answers and get 100 points today. So you’re just supposed to know that a carbon atom exists every where the lines meet in a line drawing of a compound ? For the combustion reaction to happen, you have to heat the fuel to its ignition temperature. For example when u light a candle, it doesn't mean fire is breathing. The building blocks of all materials, atoms just get antsy as they warm. I understand the fire triangle but I don't understand why it needs oxygen. When wood gets hot enough — such as when lightning hits or a log is tossed on an already burning fire — those bonds break. Identify the reducing agent in the following reaction: Fe2O3(s)+ 2Al(s) → Al2O3(s) + 2Fe(s)? In other words, when something burns, there’s no un-burning it. Typically, fire comes from a chemical reaction between oxygen in the atmosphere and some sort of fuel (wood or gasoline, for example). 1719 N Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, Utah mink is first known case of the coronavirus in a wild animal, Strongest bones come from Goldilocks recipe of exercise and rest, Can’t remember? Still have questions? Fire does not need air, only the oxygen in it. Forcing oxygen onto a fire based on gas risks blowing it out. But do we really understand why is so important to us and which body functions it supports? Combustion is the process of burning. Why.....are you following?....Why does fire need to. Usually, but not necessarily. Wood, for example, contains molecules made from bound atoms of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (and smaller amounts of other elements). Carbon exists freely as graphite and diamond. That releases more energy, which releases more atoms. Then a hero named Prometheus stole it back. When lighting a match, friction between the match’s head and the surface against which it’s struck releases enough heat to ignite the coated head. Like other myths, the Prometheus story offered one explanation for the origins of fire. Role of water in fire-fighting For example, hydrogen is a flammable gas. (On planets such as Venus and Mars, with atmospheres containing far less oxygen, fires would be hard to start.) All animals and many microorganisms need oxygen to fuel their metabolism. Stephen Ornes lives in Nashville, Tenn., and his family has two rabbits, six chickens and a cat. What are these flames made of and why do have different colours? The reaction can be dangerous and violent, which is why it's never a good idea to store or use oxygen around any sort of flame. thank you.....DONT SAY "CUZ IT NEEDS TO BE OXIDIZED" seriously....i might just, like, kill a small mammal or something...... Actually is the fuel required oxygen to complete the combustion reaction. Most materials, including those considered noncombustible in air, can be ignited and will burn vigorously in an oxygen rich environment. Apply enough heat, and atoms will break the bonds linking them together. But in the weak gravity of space, a flame appears as a sphere (left). (atmospheric air)Dry air contains roughly (by volume) 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases. The publication, as well as Science News magazine, are published by the Society for Science & the Public, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education. If oxygen feeds fire and hydrogen is explosive, then why isn't water combustible? With a decreased oxygen concentration, the combustion process slows. Some of the attractive forces are weak, some are very strong. If you’re on therapy at home or you take a portable tank outside: Stay at least 5 feet from an open flame. The need for oxygen is found by measuring the amount of oxygen in your blood stream. The biggest concern with oxygen therapy is the chance of fire. On Earth’s surface, gravity gives flames their characteristic shape (right). He has written for Science News for Students since 2008 on topics including lightning, feral pigs, big bubbles and space junk. Fires use this to produce carbon dioxide by adding a single carbon atom from the fire’s fuel (wood, for instance). For reactions, H, I, and J, use the solubility table, to name the product that is the precipitate in each of the reactions. Lacking even one, a fire won’t burn. Oxygen’s role is … Oxygen. Any flame requires three ingredients: oxygen, fuel and heat. That’s what science is for. Fires burn only when all that atomic shuffling releases enough energy to keep the oxidation going in a sustained chain reaction. It doesn’t, however, offer clues to why things burn. When oxygen is taken away, the fire completely extinguishes. Though oxygen does not burn, it is an oxidizer, which means it supports the process of combustion. Daily we need to open up to breathe in the divine oxygen of the Spirit. High concentrations of oxygen used during surgeries are a potential fire hazard for patients, but that doesn't mean the O2 gas itself catches fire. When hydrogen bonds with oxygen, it produces water vapor — even as the wood burns. They initially vibrate. In this experiment, we will test the relationship between oxygen and fire. (These carbon atoms also make up the thick black soot that forms on grilled burgers or the bottom of a pot heated over a fire.). element Each of more than one hundred substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances. Oxygen supports the chemical processes that occur during fire. Explore more by visiting the website of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. You need oxygen – but luckily there’s plenty of that in the air (though you wouldn’t have known about it at the time). It is the physical basis of all life on Earth. climate The weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period. Fuel, oxygen and heat are the three requirements for fire. (Aether, that stuff the ancients thought stars were made of, was later added to the list of elements by the philosopher Aristotle.). molecule An electrically neutral group of atoms that represents the smallest possible amount of a chemical compound. atom The basic unit of a chemical element. We are breathing oxygen from the air, which contains approximately 78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen. I need an scientific answer to keep my mind happy :D Does it have something thing to do … Molecules can be made of single types of atoms or of different types. And each day, the eagle returned. If you limit the amount of air available, the candle's flame eventually goes out once it uses up all the oxygen. Same case happens in glucose etc.. also, Naturally all type of materials ( organic/inorganic) need oxygen for combustion. It should be noted that in the presence of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen, stars heavier than the Sun may burn hydrogen to helium by using the C, N and O as catalysts. Oxygen’s role is to combine with the fuel. bond (in chemistry) Attractive forces between atoms that are strong enough to make the linked elements function as a single unit. All fires need oxygen. Post was not sent - check your e-mail addresses! Then, as they warm even more, they start dancing, faster and faster. Oxygen can be denied to a fire using a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher, a fire blanket or water. A lit candle needs to draw oxygen from the air in order to continue burning. Without oxygen, the fuel will not be fed to the heat and the fire will not be able to continue to burn. carbon The chemical element having the atomic number 6. The oxygen in water has already been 'burned' after it combines with hydrogen, creating energy and molecules of … Answer 1: Fire needs oxygen because when we burn a material we actually induce a reaction of the material with oxygen. chemical reaction A process that involves rearrangement of the molecules or structure of a substance, as opposed to a change in physical form. As an ingredient of air, oxygen is usually the easiest to find. It also tends to be a gas that is stable under most conditions, but still reactive enough that you can use it for combustion and metabolic reactions. Fire actually does not breathe. Unbound atoms form a hot gas, mingling with oxygen atoms in the air. Without sufficient oxygen, a fire cannot begin, and it cannot continue. And during combustion oxygen is always used as one of the reactants. combust To consume by fire. so with use of oxygen ( very common and found in large amount in atmosphere ) oxidizing elements. Contamination While oxygen is a nonflammable gas, it enhances the ignition and combustion of many Any number of sources may supply heat. In an oxygen rich environment over 50% concentration and where the source of ignition is within 30cm of the source of supplemental oxygen (9-10), a phenomena known … All bonds appear to link atoms through a sharing of — or an attempt to share — electrons. In normal situations, chest hair does not present a fire risk as it is an inadequate fuel. However, the eye receives oxygen in a manner that is unique from the rest of the body. When carbon bonds with oxygen, it produces carbon dioxide — a colorless gas. © Society for Science & the Public 2000–2020. Every night, his liver grew back. If your oxygen level is below a critical level at rest, then you need oxygen close to 24 hours a day. During combustion, atoms rearrange themselves irreversibly. By opening our mouth to pray, sing, or call on the Lord’s name, we inhale the Spirit as the divine oxygen. What is a flame? In average, human inhales and exhales around 16-times a minute in order to get enough oxygen to stay alive. More atoms released from the fuel combine with nearby oxygen. So if you already have a fuel and a fire, adding oxygen will feed the flames. The orange and yellow colors in a flame appear when extra, free-floating carbon atoms get hot and begin to glow. For example when u light a candle, it doesn't mean fire is breathing. 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Answer Fire occurs when free oxygen combines with (oxidizes) another element (mostly Carbon), creating new molecules (like carbon dioxide) and energy in the process. during the combustion, energy is released in the form of light and thermal energy. But there’s two other things you need before you can light the fire. Even in these stars, however, an absence of oxygen does not prevent nuclear burning. Fire is a chemical reaction between oxygen and the fuel. Free educator resources are available for this article. Many things could burn in a chlorine atmosphere about the same. The oxygen that is needed for the fire is used to help keep the heat and to help keep the fire burning. Now scientists use the word “element” to describe the most basic types of matter. But the atoms don’t stay single long: They quickly bond with oxygen in the air in a process called oxidation. This is … This heats the oxygen — and so on. 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