my friend was trying to explain to me that air isn't a combustion...something. I don't know. I guess it's not flamable? I can't figure it out. explain to me in full what is needed for something to explode and why air doesn't.
along that same train of thought, if air is needed for fire, how does the sun burn?
I think fire is facinating, but I don't understand anything about it.
2006-06-18 08:47:18 · 9 answers · asked by hobo 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
Air -- which is primarily nitrogen and oxygen with lots of other gases -- is not flammable or combustible. It can explode from pressure (such as a ballon that is overfilled), but it cannot explode from combustion by itself.
Combustion requires three things: fuel, oxygen, and heat. It is a chemical process by which fuel combines chemically with oxygen and releases energy. This is called oxidation. If a fuel does not readily combine with oxygen in the presence of heat (or doesn't release a great deal of heat when it does so), it is said to be not combustible (or flammable). The more energy a fuel releases when it combines with oxygen, the more explosive it is. Wood burns, but it doesn't (ordinarily) explode. But TNT explodes. So what air lacks to explode is combustible fuel.
Also oxygen is not combustible because it is the component that combines with fuel to make combustion; we call it an oxidizer.
Why does the sun burn? Well in point of fact it does not combust like fire, because it is a nuclear reaction rather than a chemical one. It's energy is in the form of radiation rather than chemical bonds. It uses the fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium to release nuclear energy. So while it is hot, it is not oxidizing, and so is not burning in the way that fire burns.
2006-06-18 09:23:51 · answer #1 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Combution requires a reducing agent and an oxidising agent and heat in some form to start the redox reaction that is combustion.
Combustion is burning. The oxidizer, in air, is oxygen. There are other oxidizers, such as carbon monoxide. But that chemical is only found in minute quantites in air. (Just as well, as it is extremely poisonous.)
Air is a mixture of gases. More than 70% of the air mixture is nitrogrn. Nitrogen is almost inert. It will not readily burn, nor undergo moat other reactions especially at room pressure and room temperature.
Air has about 21% oxygen which is a good oxidizer.
But the air gas mixture has no suitable flammable gas to serve as a fuel. ( = reducing agent) for oxidation ( = burning) to happen.
Hence the air does not burn.
2006-06-18 16:20:20 · answer #2 · answered by Dan S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Air in the atmosphere contains oxygen which is highly flamable. That is why air fuels, and they tell you if you have a fire in your house not to open doors and windows because it will just fuel the fire. That is also the reason they won't let people with oxygen tanks on airplanes, because at high altitudes the increase in pressure can cause they to explode. I hope that helps you some.
2006-06-18 15:52:44 · answer #3 · answered by peachmonk 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well air is made up of many different gases, some of which are flammable. Hydrogen is extremely combustible and will explode. Although, the air in our atmosphere is a combination of many different gases, so you can't catch our breathing air on fire.
2006-06-18 15:52:14 · answer #4 · answered by corbeyelise 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For explosions you need a flammable gas. And the main one in air is Oxygen. It only makes up about 16% of the air so isn't completely flammable. As the main air component is Nitrogen which isn't flammable.
Another thing for explosion is bursting out. So general air has plenty of space to move around. Compression of gasses is the main reason for explosion when you consider gasses that is.
2006-06-18 15:54:41 · answer #5 · answered by bushbaby_rsa 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The sun has hydrogen and helium inside it along with other heavier elements. It uses the internal pressure to stay burning.
2006-06-18 15:51:50 · answer #6 · answered by the Politics of Pikachu 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need fuel for the fire to consume...a fire needs fuel, oxygen, and heat. The sun is not really fire. It is extremely hot hydrogen and helium undergoing nuclear fusion.
2006-06-18 15:51:49 · answer #7 · answered by intheundertow024 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"air" is a mixture of gases. Many of the gases in it are flamable on their own, but not when mixed together.
2006-06-18 15:52:57 · answer #8 · answered by c_c_runner88 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it can and it does. every time you hear a thunder is because the lightning made the air around it explode because of high temperature.
2006-06-18 15:51:52 · answer #9 · answered by Goldfinger 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋