2007-01-18 08:09:33 · 8 answers · asked by auroraman 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Depends on the combustible, but the flame would be mostly spherical since there is no gravity. But that means there would be no convection either, so the flame extinguishes itself fairly quickly. I think this has been demonstrated on one of the space shuttle flights.
This is a cool NASA link.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast12may_1.htm
2007-01-18 08:16:30 · answer #1 · answered by Brendan R 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A spherical shape (probably oblong, with all the air currents in a spacecraft). I believe it was tested during Skylab in the '70's. It is spherical because the heat flows from the hot (therefore less dense) gases of combustion toward the cooler (therefore denser) ambient atmosphere, but there is no (very little) gravity to make the heat rise in the direction opposite gravity. Probably a flame would go out quickly because oxygen would have no preferential direction of entry to the material that was on fire.
That is not the same reason that rocket exhausts spread out to a nearly spherical shape in a vacuum. They do so because the exhaust is a high-pressure gas stream and there is no air pressure to hold it in place (and no air stream to blow it back). Watch the launch of a big rocket on TV, and as it ascends you can see the exhaust getting wider and wider as the rocket enters the decreasingly dense high altitude atmosphere.
2007-01-18 08:24:34 · answer #2 · answered by David A 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
extreme high quality question i think of that he's powerful even with the undeniable fact that it would Make A Flame for basically a 2nd Untill all of the Oxygen Is wiped out. And It Wouldnt Have Any particular shape based on the Ammounts of Oxygen around the Flame yet Who understands of
2016-12-16 07:43:42 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The flame would be spherical,as it consumed the oxygen around itself it would slowly be extinguished.
2007-01-18 10:10:41 · answer #4 · answered by Billy Butthead 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It would be spherical, it would also be hard to see as it would be a bright blue colour, making it look almost invisible.
2007-01-18 08:18:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Here this has been answered at the NASA website
2007-01-18 08:48:40 · answer #6 · answered by Old guy 124 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very interesting question,
I'd like to know that too
2007-01-18 08:16:44 · answer #7 · answered by latif_1950 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Damn you Brendan R you are right and beat me to it :)
2007-01-18 08:18:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋