2007-03-30 00:00:28 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Environment
I think you're a little confused. Heat does not require oxygen. FIRE needs oxygen. There are other sources of heat. A light bulb creates heat, but inside the light bulb is a vacuum--no oxygen there. Friction causes heat, and it does not depend on oxygen. Here is some information on the earth's core that might help you.
http://www.nov55.com/heat.html
2007-03-30 00:03:09 · answer #1 · answered by MOM KNOWS EVERYTHING 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The heat inside the earth comes from two main sources. Radioactivity is one. The other is heat left over from the formation of the Earth. This was created by the conversion of the kinetic energy of infalling material into heat. A third source is that created by the stress of the Moon's gravity. This would be fairly small, but affects the system enough that the Moon is slowly retreating from the Earth at between 2.5 to 3 centimetres a year.
After the initial formation, it appears that the Earth was struck by another planet, possibly about the same size as Mars, possibly a bit larger than that. This also released a lot of heat. Some of the medium density rocky material went into orbit and became the Moon. Some material, mainly light gases and liquids were lost to space, dense metals like iron and nickel sank to the middle where they remain hot and produce the Earth's magnetic field.
2007-03-30 07:16:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To produce heat by a chemical reaction such as burning of carbon needs oxygen. But there are other methods of producing heat which don't need oxygen. For example, see the filament of a tungsten bulb. It is heated by electricity and oxygen should not be there else the filament will burn off.
The centre of earth is hot because earth was originally a gaseous sphere, which cooled and liquified and the outer layers of earth solidified to form the crust, underneath which we still have the soft magma and the molten iron rich core. Many millions or billions of years from now, earth may lose its heat and solidify totally.
2007-03-30 07:14:59 · answer #3 · answered by Swamy 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Correction..
combustion needs oxygen.. as well as heat and fuel..
it is so hot in the earth's core because the high pressure inside is enough to increase the temperature there exponentially...
2007-03-30 07:18:10 · answer #4 · answered by juleshedwig 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not HEAT but Burning that needs OXYGEN
A body can store heat wihtin itself ... long time ago the earth broke off from something bigger and the core is still hot . This is stored energy that is reducing by the day and not burning.
Hence no oxygen needed.
2007-03-30 07:04:50 · answer #5 · answered by RATANJIT 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Heat doesn't need oxygen. Fire needs oxygen. Big difference.
2007-03-30 07:03:19 · answer #6 · answered by Merk 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
heat does not oxygen
combustion (fire) needs oxygen
the center of the earth is hot due to the pressure. imagine millions of tons of rock on top of each other, the deeper you go, the higher the pressure caused by all the weight on top. boyle's law (i think) states that if there is an increase of pressure, there will also be an increase in the amount of heat.
2007-03-30 07:06:56 · answer #7 · answered by DainBramaged 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It is fire that needs oxygen to happen not heat. You don't have to have a fire to create heat.
2007-03-30 07:51:17 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pressure and constant movement ( which the earth faces) can also create heat independent from air
2007-03-30 07:04:20 · answer #9 · answered by Raven Ty Marx 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
oxygen is not necessary for heat. It is required for fire but not heat.
2007-03-30 07:05:43 · answer #10 · answered by david37863 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋