4 replies to this topic

[Infernity]

I was thinking what's the molecular structure of fire.

But as long as I know- fire is energy.

Tell me if this is incorrect or true:

Fire is made out of energy pieces- which are not gathered to atoms nor the atoms elements.

The reason fire burns- I mean destroy things it is burning- is because the energy is small enough to go inbetween the electrons and the atomic nucleus - so it is losing it's electric (magnetic) power and fall apart. Or more rational- between each and every molecules- since it does not vanish, nor turns energy... Yeah, separate molecules.


OR

Since the energy is able to move fast due it being energy itself without a need of some engine to energize it- it can get hot and when that's making the burned up thing hot- the elements are moving too fast and being fling out of the atom- so it is falling apart- so happened to most atoms- and that's falling apart. Nah, can't be, it still does not vanish, not even to energy.

1. Were I close somewhat?

2. What makes metal burn only in higher degrees? Why doesn't it catch fire when it's around as easily as for example wood?


Now, one more thing- can I get more info. about blue fire? (clean fire)...

~Infernity

[John Schloendorn]

To answer that question satisfactorily, you'd really need most of the chemistry grad knowlege... So don't be disappointed if the brief shot I'll give it leaves many questions open.

Fire is a chemical reaction of carbon-based compounds with aerial Oxygen. At normal temperature there is an energy barrier between those compounds that keeps every living thing from just going ablaze in an oxygen atmosphere. An energy barrier is a bit like that thing between two magnets far apart. They would attract each other in principle, but they need energy to get closer, before they can actually do it.
When an Oxygen molecule is very hot, it can strike through the energy barrier, and come close enough to the carbon compound to react. (Heat is like you pushing the magnets closer together) That's why you need initial heat to get the fire going. Once it is going, the chemical reaction generates enough heat to get additional oxygen molecules over the energy barrier, as they arrive from the vicinity.
You can see the fire, because not all of the energy that the reaction generates is released in the form of heat. Some part of it is released in the form of light that is gradually emitted by the gaseous reaction products as they get dragged upward by the heat, which gives the flames their characteristic flickering and fading appearance. Which color the light has is influenced by the precise composition of the reaction products (the way their particular electron clouds prefer to release energy) which varies with what burns.

Many metals (including those you're probably thinking of) do not burn in the same way. Iron plus oxygen, for example, gives rust, which is another story. When metal gets hot, it glows. That's not a chemical reaction and yet another story.

[Infernity]

Err, thanks for the little piece John - - Good and bad new at once- You are correct (I wish I knew more) heh.

Well at least you started explaining, not as the teacher whom said I'll just have to wait with that... Ugh...

Thank you again, it gave me some base.

I beg you to try and give more information. Heh would you? [bl:)]

Yours truthfully
~Infernity

[bgwowk]

Fire contains energy, but it's not correct to say that fire is energy. The flame part of fire is just hot gas rising above an energy-releasing chemical reaction. In other words, a flame is just air and other gas molecules bumping into each faster and harder than usual, causing light to be released.

A "dirty" yellow flame is yellow because carbon particles (soot) release yellow light when they are hot. A "clean" pale blue flame is the color that pure water and carbon dioxide release when they are hot.

---BrianW

[John Schloendorn]

I beg you to try and give more information.

No worries, I would, but I'm not sure which parts of the puzzle you're yet missing. Can you make a few direct questions for me?