How does it react in a vacuum or in a space shuttle for instance...
2007-10-20 14:00:46 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
A fire needs oxygen to burn.
So what do you think it would do in a vacuum where there is no oxygen?
A flame rises (think of a candle) because hot air is lighter than cool air (lighter meaning less affected by gravity).
In a space craft, there is no (or very little) gravity (often called weighlessness). So if there is no gravity, then the hot air has no "up" to rise to, right?
"Up" would be simply away from the centre, right? And away from the centre would be in all directions, right?
So you can figure out what the flame would look like.
2007-10-20 17:46:34 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In a vacuum it can't burn (no oxygen to support combustiuon). But in zero-g a fire has no 'convection' to carry combustion by-products and introduce fresh oxygen. I've seen movies of a fire deliberately started in the Shuttle and it's just a small sphere of flame that lasts a couple of seconds and goes out. The physics all makes perfect sense, but it's still kinda weird to actually watch it happen ☺
Doug
2007-10-20 14:08:46 · answer #2 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
All fire needs is a combustible material and a light to start it, and oxygen to support it. Gravity has no effect except to create 'fireballs" of fire. Fire is a major problem on the space station and several times they have had to deal with such an emergency.
In a vacuum there is no oxygen so no fire.
In the space station there is 25% oxygen and fire is possible.
2007-10-20 14:15:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it would burn in a space shuttle and in space because of the
abundance of hydrogen. Less gravity would enable a fire to burn more intensely because there would be less gravitational force acting upon the reaction of the fire. Also because of the universal nature of gravity an extremely large fire would be needed for the fire to be supressed and it would probably result in a black hole.
2007-10-20 15:33:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In a vacuum it may not burn (no oxygen to help combustiuon). yet in 0-g a hearth has no 'convection' to hold combustion by making use of-products and introduce sparkling oxygen. i've got considered video clips of a hearth intentionally began interior the return and forth and this is purely a small sphere of flame that lasts a pair of seconds and is going out. The physics all makes ideal experience, besides the shown fact that this is nonetheless kinda weird and wonderful to truly watch it take place ? Doug
2016-11-09 01:36:30 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well if you light a candle the flare is just like a round sphere, and it goes out quickly because there is no gravity to pull down the oxygen
2007-10-20 14:08:50 · answer #6 · answered by Mango Muncher 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
fire burns itself out in zero g pretty quickly. on earth the hot air goes up allowing fresh air and ozygen to come to the fire and keep it going in zero g this doesn't happen, so the fire dies of its own byproduct.. carbon dioxide.
2007-10-20 15:13:32 · answer #7 · answered by Tim C 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋