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    • Learning to manage this chemical reaction

    What actually is fire? How does it start? How and why does it behave in different ways? How can we prevent it from starting or reduce its destructiveness?

    This resource provides explanations of the key concepts encountered when investigating fire – the ‘basics’ that every student should understand.

    Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide

    These toxic1, colourless and odourless gases2 are products of combustion3. Carbon dioxide4 (CO2) is an incombustible gas. Carbon monoxide5 (CO) is highly poisonous6 and is a product of incomplete combustion7.

    Chemical reaction

    A process in which one or more substances are changed into different substances. In the context of fire, the chemical reaction8 occurs between oxygen9 in the air and some sort of fuel10 when heated to ignition temperature11. For example, methane12 gas when ignited reacts with oxygen gas in the air to produce mostly carbon13 dioxide and water vapour14.

    Complete combustion

    A chemical reaction15 that involves the process of burning. It occurs when fuel reacts with oxygen to release energy (light and heat16) producing gases like water vapour and carbon dioxide. The flame is typically blue. For this to happen, there needs to be enough oxygen to combine completely with the fuel gas.

    Consumability

    The amount of biomass17 burned in a fire.

    Ignition temperature

    The lowest temperature18 at which combustion can begin and continue, for example, wood needs to be heated to between 250–300°C before it will ignite19.

    Incomplete combustion

    If there is not enough oxygen available during a chemical reaction, incomplete combustion occurs and products such as carbon (C) and carbon monoxide20 (CO) as well as water and carbon dioxide are produced. In incomplete combustion, the burning flame is typically yellow or orange and there is smoke.

    Fire retardant

    A substance that interferes with the combustion process. This could be a substance like water. Wool and leather are also examples of fire retardants. They are difficult to ignite and burn slowly. Chemical fire retardants are chemicals21 that are used in fabrics and foams (in furniture) to slow down combustion in the event of a fire.

    Flammability

    How easily something will burn or ignite. Note that flammable22 and inflammable mean the same.

    Fuel

    A combustible substance that provides energy. A fuel load23 is the amount of fuel available for burning.

    Heat energy

    A form of energy that flows between two samples of matter24 because of their differences in temperature.

    Heat transfer

    The transfer of heat from a hotter substance to a cooler one. This can occur through conduction25, convection26 or radiation27.

    Spotting

    Fire spotting is when sparks or embers from a fire are carried up by the wind and or the convective column28 and fall beyond the original place where the fire started. Spotting is one of the major ways that fires spread and homes are ignited and destroyed in fires.

    1. toxic: Poisonous and harmful.
    2. gases: The state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states. Gases have the ability to diffuse readily and to become distributed uniformly throughout any container.
    3. combustion: A chemical reaction that involves the process of burning.
    4. carbon dioxide: CO2 is a colourless, odourless, incombustible gas. It is a product of cellular respiration and combustion and is an essential component in photosynthesis.
    5. carbon monoxide: Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom. It is an odorless, colourless, tasteless, flammable gas.
    6. poisonous: Capable of harming or killing by or as if by poison. A poisonous organism only delivers its toxins when eaten, touched or inhaled.
    7. incomplete combustion: When not everything burns completely in the combustion process.
    8. chemical reaction: A process in which one or more substances are changed into different substances.
    9. oxygen: A non-metal – symbol O, atomic number 8. Oxygen is a gas found in the air. It is needed for aerobic cellular respiration in cells.
    10. fuel: 1. A combustible substance that provides energy. 2. A body fuel such as fat, carbohydrates and protein that supplies energy for animals’ activities.
    11. ignition temperature: The lowest temperature at which combustion can begin and continue, for example, the ignition temperature for wood is when its volatile gases reach about 260 °C.
    12. methane: CH4, a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect.
    13. carbon: A non-metal element (C). It is a key component of living things.
    14. water vapour: The gas phase of water.
    15. chemical reaction: A process in which one or more substances are changed into different substances.
    16. heat energy (heat): Heat energy: the transfer of energy in materials from the random movement of the particles in that material. The greater the random movement of particles the more heat energy the material has. Temperature is a measure of the heat energy of a material.
      Heat: the flow of energy from a warm object to a cooler object.
    17. biomass: 1. Organic matter, such as trees, plants, reject fruit, straw, algae, dairy effluent or tallow (waste fat), which can be turned into biofuel. 2. The mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time.
    18. temperature: A measure of the degree of hotness or coldness of an object or substance. Temperature is measured with a thermometer calibrated in one or more temperature scales. Kelvin scale temperature is a measure of the average energy of the molecules of a body.
    19. ignite: To set on fire or cause to start burning.
    20. carbon monoxide: Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom. It is an odorless, colourless, tasteless, flammable gas.
    21. chemicals: Everything is made up of chemicals. All matter (anything made of atoms) can be called chemicals. They can be in any form – liquid, solid or gas. Chemicals can be a pure substance or a mixture.
    22. flammable: Easily ignited or set on fire.
    23. fuel load: The amount of fuel (combustible substances) available for burning.
    24. matter: The basic structural component of all things that have mass and volume.
    25. conduction: 1. Heat flow or transfer through a substance from a higher to a lower temperature. 2. Flow of electric charges through a material in response to an electric field.
    26. convection: A method of moving heat energy. Found only in gases and liquids. Convection currents move heat from one location to another.
    27. radiation: Energy that is transmitted (radiates) from a source in the form of rays or waves or particles.
    28. convective column: The rising column of gases, smoke, particulates and other debris produced by a fire.
    Published 9 November 2009, Updated 17 October 2018 Referencing Hub articles
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        toxic

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        2. Poisonous and harmful.

        carbon dioxide

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        3. CO2 is a colourless, odourless, incombustible gas. It is a product of cellular respiration and combustion and is an essential component in photosynthesis.

        incomplete combustion

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        4. When not everything burns completely in the combustion process.

        fuel

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        5. 1. A combustible substance that provides energy. 2. A body fuel such as fat, carbohydrates and protein that supplies energy for animals’ activities.

        carbon

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        6. A non-metal element (C). It is a key component of living things.

        biomass

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        7. 1. Organic matter, such as trees, plants, reject fruit, straw, algae, dairy effluent or tallow (waste fat), which can be turned into biofuel.

        2. The mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time.

        chemicals

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        8. Everything is made up of chemicals. All matter (anything made of atoms) can be called chemicals. They can be in any form – liquid, solid or gas. Chemicals can be a pure substance or a mixture.

        matter

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        9. The basic structural component of all things that have mass and volume.

        radiation

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        10. Energy that is transmitted (radiates) from a source in the form of rays or waves or particles.

        gases

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        11. The state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states. Gases have the ability to diffuse readily and to become distributed uniformly throughout any container.

        carbon monoxide

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        12. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom. It is an odorless, colourless, tasteless, flammable gas.

        chemical reaction

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        13. A process in which one or more substances are changed into different substances.

        ignition temperature

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        14. The lowest temperature at which combustion can begin and continue, for example, the ignition temperature for wood is when its volatile gases reach about 260 °C.

        water vapour

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        15. The gas phase of water.

        temperature

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        16. A measure of the degree of hotness or coldness of an object or substance. Temperature is measured with a thermometer calibrated in one or more temperature scales. Kelvin scale temperature is a measure of the average energy of the molecules of a body.

        flammable

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        17. Easily ignited or set on fire.

        conduction

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        18. 1. Heat flow or transfer through a substance from a higher to a lower temperature.

        2. Flow of electric charges through a material in response to an electric field.

        convective column

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        19. The rising column of gases, smoke, particulates and other debris produced by a fire.

        combustion

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        20. A chemical reaction that involves the process of burning.

        poisonous

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        21. Capable of harming or killing by or as if by poison. A poisonous organism only delivers its toxins when eaten, touched or inhaled.

        oxygen

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        22. A non-metal – symbol O, atomic number 8. Oxygen is a gas found in the air. It is needed for aerobic cellular respiration in cells.

        methane

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        23. CH4, a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect.

        heat energy (heat)

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        24. Heat energy: the transfer of energy in materials from the random movement of the particles in that material. The greater the random movement of particles the more heat energy the material has. Temperature is a measure of the heat energy of a material.
        Heat: the flow of energy from a warm object to a cooler object.

        ignite

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        25. To set on fire or cause to start burning.

        fuel load

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        26. The amount of fuel (combustible substances) available for burning.

        convection

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        27. A method of moving heat energy. Found only in gases and liquids. Convection currents move heat from one location to another.

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