Science Homework Help!?

Question

Why do fire fighters advise people to stay down near the floor when escaping from a fire, rather that standing up and running out?? Please help me! Thanks

Answer 1

the smoke is hot and it rises in the air. the air is colder so it is more dense and i sinks. when you get low to the ground, you have more fresh air to breath, and there is less smoke to breath.

Answer 2

The toxic fumes rise with the heated air.
The best air in room is down low and you can see where you are going when you stand in smoke you will get confused.
People like be have to come in and haul you out.

Added information:
Have a plan to get out and know your way out at least 2 in case that one is block.

That doesn't apply to just being at home but when you go out.
Take few seconds to locate the nearest exit. What was sad about the fire they had in Rhode Island when the fire broke out all the people try to head out the way they came and walk right by the fire exits.

Another reason not to stand up in case of fire you don't know what you will run into a sagging floor or obstuction of somekind.

People think they can hold their breath on the way out but the problem is carbonmonoxide abosrbs faster into your blood displacing the oxygen.

I do hope this helps.

Answer 3

Well, I AM a firefighter, so I can answer that. :-)

Heat - and smoke - rise. In a house, those 'products of combustion' get trapped near the roof. As they build up there, the level where the heat and smoke are dangerous gets lower and lower and lower.

No matter what though, there will be a layer at the bottom that is cool enough and that has enough air for you to get out of the house. (Well, until things are so bad it wouldn't matter anyway). If the house is on fire, do NOT WAIT. do NOT GO BACK for anything - get OUT. Crawl flat on the floor as fast as you can.

Even when we're inside a house, we're usually on our hands and knees to stay cool. We wear breathing masks so the smoke doesn't bother our breathing, but the heat can surely get uncomfy pretty quick, even through turnouts!

The heat is bad enough, but the smoke will knock you out in pretty much one breath. And at that point, you can no longer get out yourself. That smoke can cause a lot of damage to your lungs even if you DO get out - enough to cause death, even - if you breath enough of it and it's hot enough.

Basically, if your house DOES catch fire, don't panic. Even if you catch some smoke, you'll be fine if you don't freak out. Get down flat on the floor where you can breathe and stay cool. Get out of the house. Talk with your family - have an escape plan with at least two ways out of the house for everyone and with a meeting-place outside the house where you will all go and WAIT. Then let us come and take care of the rest.

And I cannot stress ENOUGH how important it is to have smoke detectors...


Orion

Answer 4

The hot air of the steam rises as it is less dense than the air around it making the air near the floor safer. When running your breathing rate increases due to more oxygen being needed for respiration and this will cause you to breathe in more smoke. Your head will be higher running than lying down. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Smoke is lighter than air and rises, so the air near the floor is thought to be easier to breathe (less smoke-affected) than the air at eye level.

Answer 6

I believe that smoke and carbon dioxide rises. Which would make it next to impossible to breath if you were stading up. Not to mention that you cant see with the heavy smoke thats at eye level..The only breathable air would be very low to te ground..

Answer 7

lol um this is because smoke rises and many people die from no being able to breathe because they stand up. stay low and there will be less smoke

Answer 8

i think it is, the carbon dioxide/monoxide forces the oxygen lower so wen there is a fire that is why we are told to get to the floor

Answer 9

so the smoke wont enter the lungs and this is because the smoke is usually one the top not on the bottom of the house