2006-06-27 07:50:05 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
To begin with, it's not smoke!
The fuel burned in a jet engine is paraffin (kerosene if you are American). Now paraffin is a compound of carbon and hydrogen; the carbon burns to carbon dioxide - which you can't see - and the hydrogen burns to water vapour. At very high altitudes this water vapour condenses and then freezes into ice crystals. This is what you see ... a 'contrail' or a 'condensation trail'.
2006-06-27 23:26:41 · answer #1 · answered by clausiusminkowski 3 · 6⤊ 1⤋
I go for Steve's answer:-)
Ok we determined by now it's water vapor. Where does it come from? If it's because there is water as a byproduct in the combustion then why you not always see the white trails in the sky? And imagine the amount of water that would be in the fuel to make all these trails. I guess the tanks would be huge and the fuel would maybe not burn anymore with that amount of water. So the water has to come from the air. In the jet enginge the air is compressed and heated up. After the outlet the air expands and cools down. This causes the water in the air to condensate and you can see it as a white trail (frozen or not). On days when the air is very dry there is too little water in the air to produce that phenomena.
2006-06-28 00:32:25 · answer #2 · answered by smartass 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There too reason the jet one is that the jet is leaving a thick tail of smoke to tell the military that the sky are clear its a new thing the military started after 9-11 and if it leave a thin tail that just mean the jet may by going 2 or 3 times fast then the speed of sound
2006-06-27 08:14:48 · answer #3 · answered by Mark C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any jetliner can go away a contrail (water crystals from the combustion of the gas. Hydrocarbon gas will burn leaving actually carbon dioxide and water vapor. seeing it quite is -50 the place plane cruise, the water vapor condenses and varieties ice 'clouds'. What happens whilst a plane does not go away a contrail is that the plane isn't flying at an exceedingly severe altitude, or that the air up there is somewhat dry and the water evaporates rather of condensing. the climatic circumstances play a considerable place on the visual charm and endurance of contrails.
2016-12-09 02:25:07 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The smoke you see is indeed not smoke, but frozen chrystals of the jet fuel left behind. It is a lot colder at the altitudes that the jets fly than down here on GOD"S green earth. I have no idea what temperature that the vaporous jet fuel freezes at, but it is very cold at fifty or sixty thousand feet up.
2006-06-27 08:11:01 · answer #5 · answered by ctibodeaux 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not smoke. It's steam or water vapor that turns into ice crystals. And recent studies have proven that all of the contrails left behind each aircraft are effecting the weather in the most congested skies.These contrails cause it to rain more often than it would normally!
2006-06-27 08:34:13 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its a vapour trail left by the super heated air that rushes through the jet engines.
2006-06-27 07:58:07 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
When any carbon fuel burns one of the products of combustion is water. This water issues as superheated steam but is quickly converted into a vapour trail before it freezes in the cold and rarefied atmosphere.
2006-06-27 09:02:25 · answer #8 · answered by CurlyQ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not smoke, its acaully exahaust. It is water vapor, thats why on some days with no clouds you can look up and see a jet cruising with no contrail
2006-06-27 23:46:22 · answer #9 · answered by wyoairbus 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because of the no smoking policy on all airlines today people are asked to go outside for a cigarette.
2006-06-27 12:08:11 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋