are there fires in space?

Question

if a person on a space shuttle were to try to light a floating ball of gasoline, what would happen? does combustion rely on gravity?

i mean in a place in space with oxygen, such as in a space shuttle, but no gravity, and if it could light, then how would it burn?

Answer 1

That's an excellent question.

Fires are perfectly capable of burning in space. Theoretically at least, chemical reactions in a flame do not depend on gravity.

The biggest difference in a microgravity environment, is that hot gases do not naturally rise, nor do cooler gases sink. There is no natural convection in orbit.

In the absence of convection, the only way a flame can get enough oxygen is by diffusion. A flame will tend to form into tiny, spherical "bubbles" of hot, oxygen-depleted, fuel-rich combustion gases, with actual burning taking place, on the outer "envelope" of the bubble. Heat, fuel molecules, and combustion products tend to diffuse outward, while oxygen diffuses inward. These flames burn very slowly, and at cooler temperatures then on earth.

Because of the low temperature of flame and lack of convection, most flammable materials will tend to quickly "self-extinguish" in orbit. Flammable gases can still burn explosively, but only if they are mixed with enough oxygen first.

Note that fans and life support systems on the space shuttle, or the ISS, may be able to provide enough "forced" convection to sustain a fire. In an enclosed space such a fire could quickly kill the astronauts due to carbon monoxide or other toxic gases. Just to be safe, plastics and fabrics are usually made made to be fireproof.

Answer 2

If there is a source of oxygen, then the fire would burn.

There are three things required for fire:

Fuel,
Oxygen,
Source of ignition.

Jennnny: You are NOT the only person who understood the question. The OP asked "does combustion rely on gravity?", which is false, and I composed my answer so he would know what combustion DID require (and so did plenty of others before you). Also, clearly the shuttle is an oxygen source.
Nice try at bigging yourself up though.

Answer 3

No, combustion relies on oxygen. There's no oxygen in space, therefore no fires. Now, on a shuttle that'd be different since they do have air.

Answer 4

It would be possible on a shuttle or space station where there's oxygen. Fire isn't reliant on gravity. In open space however, it's not going to happen.

Answer 5

As the only one so far to understand your question. I would have to believe "on the space shuttle" it would ignite and actually be pretty cool.

Answer 6

i don't think it would explode or light, because space is a vacuum. vacuums don't have oxygen, and you need oxygen for there to be any kind of fire or explosion. besides how does gasoline float in a "ball"??

Answer 7

issues like adventure heads and gunpowder incorporate their own oxygen in sturdy type, so as that they might burn in a vacuum. as quickly because of the fact the adventure head burned away in spite of the undeniable fact that, the hearth might circulate out because of the fact there is no oxygen in area. A lighter does not artwork in any respect. The sunlight incorporates hint quantities of oxygen in spite of the undeniable fact that it does not burn because of the fact the temperature is merely too severe for molecules to combine. The sunlight's source of capability comes from nuclear fusion, no longer hearth.

Answer 8

But isn't the sun and all other stars just big balls of burning gases?
Therefore they are fires, so a fire can occur in space?

Answer 9

For there to be a fire you need three things.
Something to burn.
An ignition source.
Oxygen.

In space there is no oxygen therefore, there is no fire.

Answer 10

There's no oxygen in space, and oxygen is one of the required resources for fire. Holla.