Chapter

6. COMBUSTIION AND
FLAME
http://www.lenntech.com/greenhouse-effect/fossil-fuels.htm
1. Humans need energy for just about any type of function they perform.
Houses must be heated, energy is required for industry and agriculture and
even within our own bodies a constant flow of energy takes place.
• All processes that provide us with the luxuries of every day live we can no
longer live without require energy generation.
• This is an industrial process that can be performed using various different
sources. These sources can be either renewable or non-renewable.
• Renewable energy sources are replaced in time and will therefore not run
out easily. However, non-renewable energy sources are threatening to run
out if our standard of usage becomes too high.
• Nowadays many renewable energy sources are available for use, for
example solar and wind energy and water power.
• Ironically, we still gain most of our energy from non-renewable energy
sources, commonly known as fossil fuels.
Fuel: - Fuel, material that can be burned or otherwise consumed to
produce heat. Examples are cowdung, wood, coal, charcoal, petrol,
diesel, kerosene, compressed natural gas (CNG), etc.

2. Combustion is the act or process of burning. Examples – burning of a

candle and the burning of a fuel like coal etc.
• For combustion to occur, fuel, oxygen (air), and heat must be present
together.
• The combustion process is started by heating the fuel above its ignition
temperature in the presence of oxygen.
• Under the influence of heat, the chemical bonds of the fuel are split.
• If complete combustion takes place, the elements carbon (C), hydrogen (H)
and sulphur (S) react with the oxygen content of the air to form carbon
dioxide CO2, water vapour H2O and sulphur dioxide SO2 and, to a lesser
degree, sulphur trioxide SO3.

What is Combustion?: - A chemical process in which a substance

reacts with oxygen to give off heat is called combustion. Sometimes, light
is also given off during combustion, either as a flame or as a glow.
- Reactants of combustion: fuel + oxygen
- Complete combustion gives CO2
- In-complete combustion gives CO2+CO (soot)
- Testing for CO2: - turns clear limewater milky..

The substance that undergoes combustion is said to be combustible. It

is also called a fuel.
IGNITION TEMPERATURE:- The lowest temperature at which a
substance catches fire is called ignition temperature. A combustible
substance cannot catch fire or burn as long as its temperature is
lower than its ignition temperature.

Inflammable substances:- The substances which have very low

ignition temperature and can easily catch fire with a flame are called
inflammable substances. Examples of inflammable substances are
petrol, alcohol, Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), etc.

How do We Control Fire?:- Fire control consists of depriving a fire of

fuel, oxygen or heat to prevent it from spreading or to put it out
entirely.

TYPES OF FIRES METHOD OF FIRE CONTROL

1. Class-A fire (the combustion 1. To remove heat by spraying the
of a flammable material with burning solid fuels with water.
oxygen and heat).
2. Class-B fires (hydrocarbons, 2. To control a class-B fire would be to
petroleums, and fuels on fire). dump chemical dust on it..

3. To deal with this type of fire—take

3. Class-C fires are electrical away the oxygen (smother it with
fires—fires that are caused by foam or a fire extinguisher) or simply
an electrical source and get turn off the electricity.
their heat from electricity..

Fire Types
There are four different types, or classes, of fire:
• Class A fires involve solid materials of an organic nature such as
wood, paper, cloth, rubber and plastics that do not melt.
• Class B fires involves liquids. They include petrol, diesel, thinners, oils,
paints, wax, cooking fat and plastics that melt.
• Class C fires involve electricity.
• Class D fires involve flammable metals such as magnesium,
aluminium, titanium, sodium and potassium.

Types of Fire extinguishers

The job of the fire extinguisher is to the cut off the supply of the
air, or to bring down the temperature of the fuel or both. The most
common fire extinguisher is water but it is not suitable for involving oil
and petrol. For fires involving electrical equipment and inflammable
materials, carbon dioxide (CO2) is the best extinguisher, which is stored
at the high pressure as a liquid in cylinders.

• Water extinguishers – or APW extinguishers (air-pressurized

water) are suitable for class A fires only. Water extinguishers are
 filled with water and are typically pressurized with air.
• Dry chemical extinguishers – come in a variety of types and are
suitable for a combination of class A, B and C fires. These are filled
with foam or powder and pressurized with nitrogen.
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2) extinguishers – are used for class B and C
fires. CO2 extinguishers contain carbon dioxide, a non-flammable
gas, and are highly pressurized. The pressure is so great that it is
not uncommon for bits of dry ice to shoot out the nozzle.
Advantages:- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) extinguishers are used for class B and C
fires. CO2 extinguishers contain carbon dioxide, a non-flammable gas, and are
highly pressurized. The pressure is so great that it is not uncommon for bits of
dry ice to shoot out the nozzle.

Types of Combustion:-
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content-ch-6-903403.htm
1. Rapid combustion - Combustion in which gas burns rapidly and
produces light and heat is known as rapid combustion. E.g. burning of gas
stove in kitchen.
2. Spontaneous combustion - The type of combustion in which a
material is suddenly bursts in the flames without application of any
apparent cause is called spontaneous combustion. E.g. spontaneous
combustion of phosphorus which burn in air at room temperature.
Spontaneous combustion of coal dust..
3. Explosion - Combustion in which a sudden reaction takes place with the
evolution of heat, light and sound is known as explosion e.g. ignition of fire
crackers.

Flame:- A flame (from Latin flamma) is the visible (light-emitting) gaseous part
of a fire.

Structure of a Flame:- The substances which vaporize during burning give

flames. For e.g. kerosene oil rise through the wick, vaporize during burning form
flames. Charcoal, on the other hand, does not vapourise and so does not produce
a flame.

The different zones of the candle flame are outer zone, middle zone and
innermost zone.
 Fig.: Different Zones of Candle flame
What is a Fuel? : - Fuel, material that can be burned or otherwise
consumed to produce heat. Examples are cowdung, wood, coal,
charcoal, petrol, diesel, kerosene, compressed natural gas (CNG), etc.

• Fuels come in many varieties such as wood, cow dung, charcoal, kerosine
and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG). These are used for cooking purposes.
• Coal, fuel, oil and natural gas are used in industries.
• Petrol and diesel are used in automobiles and locomotives.
• Specially prepared fuels are used in rockets.

http://www.tutorvista.com/content/physics/physics-ii/fission-and
fusion/combustion.php
On the basis of the physical state of fuel, it can be classified as solid,
liquid and gas fuels –
Solid fuels Liquid fuels Gas fuels
Wood Liquid hydrogen Water gas
Agricultural Residues Petrol oil Producer gas
Charcoal Kerosene oil Coal gas
Coal Diesel oil Compressed natural gas
Coke Alcohol Bio gas
Paraffin wax Furnace oil Hydrogen gas

Characteristics of a good fuel:-

• A good fuel is one which is cheap, readily available, burns easily in air at a
moderate rate.
• It produces a large amount of heat.
• It does not leave behind any undesirable substances.
• Easy storage and transport.
• There is probably no fuel that could be considered as an ideal fuel.
No available fuel has all the above said characteristics. Hence a comparative
study is made to choose a good fuel.

Fuel Efficiency;- Fuel efficiency is expressed in terms of calorific

values. The amount of the heat produced on complete combustion of 1
kg of the fuel is called its calorific value. It is expressed in kilo joule per
kg. A good fuel has a high calorific value.

Burning of Fuels Leads to Harmful Products;-

• The increasing fuel combustion has harmful effects on the
environment like carbon fuel (wood, coal, petroleum) release
unburnt carbon particles which causes respiratory diseases.
• Incomplete combustion of these fuels gives carbon monoxide gas
which is poisonous gas.
• Combustion of most fuels releases carbon dioxide. Increased
concentration of carbon dioxide in the air causes global warming.
• Burning of coal and diesel releases sulphur dioxide. Moreover,
petrol engines give oxides of nitrogen. Oxides of nitrogen and
sulphur dissolve in water of rain to form acids. Such rain is called
acid rain which is very harmful for crops, building and soil...
Global Warming: - World-wide rise in temperature. Global warming is
the rise in temperature of the atmosphere of the earth. This result, among other
things, in the melting of polar glaciers, which leads to a rise in the sea level,
causing floods in the coastal areas. Low lying coastal areas may even be
permanently submerged under water.

OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Can you name a few fuels used in our homes?
2. What fuels are used for running automobiles?
3. Name a few fuels used in trade and industry.
4. Magnesium burns to form magnesium oxide and produces___heat___
and___ light__.
5. If combustion takes place mark the material ___combustible____,
otherwise mark it as ____non-combustible___.
6. Experiment to show that air is essential for burning- Observe what
happens to the flame.
7. Investigate conditions under which combustion takes place..
8. Does a matchstick burn by itself? How does it burn?
9. Why do you have to use paper or kerosene oil to start fire in wood or
coal? ------
10. Why does the matchstick start burning on rubbing it on the side of
the matchbox?
11. Show by activity that ignition temperature of kerosene oil is lower
than that of wood? --------
12. The head of the safety match contains only ___antimony
trisulphide__ and __potassium chlorate__.
13. The rubbing surface has powdered glass and a little________ red
phosphorus_________.
14. It is essential for a substance to reach _______ignition
temperature_______ to burn.
15. If we continue heating the cup, we can even boil water in the paper
cup. Can you think of an explanation for this phenomenon?
16. Find out the telephone number of the fire service in your area.------
17. What are three essential requirements for producing fire?
18. The job of a fire extinguisher is to cut off the____ supply of air____,
or to bring down the____ temperature______ of the fuel, or both.
19. For fires involving electrical equipment and inflammable materials
like petrol, carbon dioxide (CO2) is the best extinguisher. Why?
20 What is the colour of a candle flame?
21. Which part of the flame is the hottest part?
22. When the candle flame is steady, introduce a clean glass plate/slide
into the luminous zone of the flame. Hold it there with a pair of tongs
for about 10 seconds. Then remove it. What do you observe?

1. Can you name a few fuels used in our homes? ------

Answer – Cowdung, wood, coal, charcoal, kerosene,LPG etc.
2. What fuels are used for running automobiles? ------
Answer – Petrol, diesel, compressed natural gas (CNG).
3. Name a few fuels used in trade and industry.------
Answer – Petrol, diesel, natural gas.
4. Magnesium burns to form magnesium oxide and produces___ ___
and___ __.
Answer – ___heat___ and___ light__.
5. If combustion takes place mark the material ___ ____, otherwise mark it
as ____ - ___.
Answer – ___combustible____, ____non-combustible___.
6. Experiment to show that air is essential for burning- Observe what
happens to the flame.
Answer – We find that for combustion, air is necessary. The candle burns freely
in case (a) when air can enter the chimney from below. In case (b), when air does
not enter the chimney from below, the flame flickers and produces smoke. In case
(c), the flame finally goes off because the air is not available.
7. Investigate conditions under which combustion takes place….....-----
Or………………….
17. What are three essential requirements for producing fire? ------
Answer – For combustion of any substance following three conditions are
essential -
1. Presence of air
2. Attaining the ignition temperature
3. The substance should be combustible.
8. Does a matchstick burn by itself? How does it burn? -------
Or………………
10. Why does the matchstick start burning on rubbing it on the side of
the matchbox? ---

Answer – No, because in a safety match he contents have been

separated and they lit up due to the friction produced by rubbing it at
the striking surface.
The head of the safety match contains only antimony trisulphide and potassium
chlorate. The rubbing surface has powdered glass and a little red phosphorus.
When the match is struck against the rubbing surface, some
red phosphorus gets converted into white phosphorus. This immediately
reacts with potassium chlorate in the matchstick head to produce
enough heat to ignite antimony trisulphide and start the combustion.
9. Why do you have to use paper or kerosene oil to start fire in wood or
coal? ------
Answer – Because ignition temperature of paper or kerosene oil is lower than
that of wood or coal.
11. Show by activity that ignition temperature of kerosene oil is lower
than that of wood?
Answer – -------do yourself.
12. The head of the safety match contains only ___antimony trisulphide__
and __potassium chlorate__.
Answer – ___antimony trisulphide__ and __potassium chlorate__.
13. The rubbing surface has powdered glass and a little________ red
phosphorus_________.
Answer – ________ red phosphorus_________.
14. It is essential for a substance to reach _______ignition
temperature_______ to burn.
Answer – ____ignition temperature____.
15. If we continue heating the cup, we can even boil water in the paper
cup. Can you think of an explanation for this phenomenon?
Answer – The heat supplied to the paper cup is transferred to water by
conduction. So, in the presence of water, the ignition temperature of paper is not
reached. Hence, it does not burn.
18. The job of a fire extinguisher is to cut off the____ supply of air____, or
to bring down the____ temperature______ of the fuel, or both.
Answer – ____ supply of air____,; ____ temperature______.
19. For fires involving electrical equipment and inflammable materials
like petrol, carbon dioxide (CO2) is the best extinguisher.Why?
Answer: - Because CO2, being heavier than oxygen, covers the fire like a
blanket. Since the contact between the fuel and oxygen is cut off, the fire is
controlled. The added advantage of CO2 is that in most cases it does not harm
the electrical equipment.
21. Which part of the flame is the hottest part?
Answer: - The non-luminous/outermost zone of the flame has a high
temperature.
20 What is the colour of a candle flame? ------
Answer – Candle flames are yellow because of their composition- unburnt carbon
particles.
21. Which part of the flame is the hottest part? ------
Answer – The outermost part/zone of the flame.
22. When the candle flame is steady, introduce a clean glass plate/slide
into the luminous zone of the flame. Hold it there with a pair of tongs
for about 10 seconds. Then remove it. What do you observe?
Answer: - A circular blackish ring is formed on the glass plate/slide. It indicates
the deposition of unburnt carbon particles present in the luminous zone of the
flame.

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 A chemical process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to
give heat is called combustion. The substance that undergoes
combustion is called to be a combustible. It is also called fuel. E.g.
petrol, kerosene. The fuel may be solid, liquid or gas. For combustion
air is necessary.

Note:

In the sun, heat and light are produced by nuclear reactions.

The lowest temperature at which a substance catches fire is

called ignition temperature. A combustible substance cannot catch
fire or burn as long as its temperature is lower than its ignition
temperature. The substances which have very low ignition
temperature and can easily catch fire with a flame are inflammable
substances. E.g. petrol, alcohol, LPG (Liquified petroleum gas) etc.
 Note

: The head of the safety match is made from antimony

trisulphide and potassium chlorate. The rubbing surface has
powdered glass and a little red phosphorous. When the matches is
struck against the rubbing surface, some red phosphorous get
converted into white phosphorous which reacts with the potassium
chlorate in the match ignite antimony trisulphide and start the
combustion.

When there is a fire, break out, the fire bridge pours water on
the fire. Water cools the combustion material so that its temperature
is brought below its ignition temperature thus, preventing the fire
from spreading.
The job of the fire extinguisher is to the cut off the supply of the
air, or to bring down the temperature of the fuel or both. The most
common fire extinguisher is water but it is not suitable for involving
oil and petrol. For fires involving electrical equipment and
inflammable materials, carbon dioxide (CO2) is the best extinguisher,
which is stored at the high pressure as a liquid in cylinders. Also, near
the fire CO2 can be given off by using chemical like sodium
bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate etc.

Types of combustion:
Combustion in which gas burns rapidly and produces light and
heat is known as rapid combustion. E.g. burning of gas stove in
kitchen. The type of combustion in which a material is suddenly bursts
in the flames without application of any apparent is called
spontaneous
combustion. E.g. spontaneous combustion of coal dust.
Combustion in which a sudden reaction takes place with the evolution
of heat, light and sound is known as explosion e.g. ignition of fire
crackers.
The substances which vaporise during burning give flames. For
e.g. kerosene oil rise through the wick, vaporise during burning form
flames. The different zones of the candle flame are outer zone, middle
zone and innermost zone.
 Fig. 1 Different zones of candle flame

Goldsmiths blow the outer zone of the flame with a metallic blow
pipe for melting gold and silver.

Fuel
A good fuel is one which is cheap, readily available, burns easily
in air at a moderate rate. It produces a large amount of heat. It does
not leave behind any undesirable substances.
The amount of the heat produced on complete combustion of 1
kg of the fuel is called its calorific value. It is expressed in kilo joule
per kg. A good fuel has a high calorific value.
The increasing fuel combustion has harmful effects on the
environment like carbon fuel (wood, coal, petroleum) release unburnt
carbon particles which causes respiratory diseases. Incomplete
combustion of these fuels gives carbon monoxide gas which is
poisonous gas combustion of most fuels releases carbon dioxide.
Increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the air causes global
warming.
Burning of coal and diesel releases sulphur dioxide. Moreover,
petrol engines give oxides of nitrogen. Oxides of nitrogen and sulphur
dissolve in water of rain to form acids. Such rain is called acid rain
which is very harmful for crops, building and soil.

Points to remember:
Substances which burn in air are combustible.
During combustion heat and light is given out.
The lowest temperature at which a combustible substance
catches fire is called ignition temperature.
There are various types of combustion as rapid combustion,
spontaneous combustion, explosion etc.
Fuel efficiency is expressed in terms of calorific values.

*****************************************************************
ossil fuels consist of deposits of once living organisms. The organic
matter takes centuries to form. Fossil fuels principally consist of
carbon and hydrogen bonds. There are three types of fossil fuels
which can all be used for energy provision; coal, oil and natural gas.
Coal is a solid fossil fuel formed over millions of years by decay of
land vegetation. When layers are compacted and heated over time,
deposits are turned into coal. Coal is quite abundant compared to the
other two fossil fuels. Analysts sometimes predict that worldwide coal
use will increase as oil supplies become scarcer. Current coal supplies
could last for 200 years or more. Coal is usually extracted in mines.
Since the middle of the 20th century, coal use has doubled. Since
1996 its application is declining again. Many developing countries
depend on coal for energy provision because they cannot afford oil or
natural gas. China and India are major users of coal for energy
provision.
Oil is a liquid fossil fuel that is formed from the remains of marine
microorganisms deposited on the sea floor. After millions of years the
deposits end up in rock and sediment where oil is trapped in small
spaces. It can be extracted by large drilling platforms. Oil is the most
widely used fossil fuel. Crude oil consists of many different organic
compounds which are transformed to products in a refining process. It
is applied in cars, jets, roads and roofs and many other. Oil cannot be
found everywhere on earth and consequentially, there have been
wars on oil supplies. A well-known example is the Gulf War of 1991.
Natural gas is a gaseous fossil fuel that is versatile, abundant and
relatively clean compared to coal and oil. Like oil, it is formed from
the remains of marine microorganisms. It is a relatively new type of
energy source. Until 1999, more coal was used than natural gas.
Natural gas has now overtaken coal in developed countries. However,
people are afraid that like oil, natural gas supplies will run out. Some
scientists have even predicted this might happen by the middle or
end of the 21st century. Natural gas mainly consists of methane
(CH4). It is highly compressed in small volumes at large depths in the
earth. Like oil, it is brought to the surface by drilling. Natural gas
reserves are more evenly distributed around the globe than oil
supplies.

Figure 2. Source: Energy Information Administration

Energy gained from burning fossil fuels is converted to electricity and

heat in commercial power plants. When fossil fuels are burned carbon
and hydrogen react with oxygen in air to carbon dioxide (CO2) and
water (H2O). During this reaction heat is released which further
amplifies the reaction. Electricity is generated by transforming
mechanical energy (heat) to electrical energy in a turbine or
generator. Power plants are very expensive to build, but once they
are present efficiency in converting fuel to energy is very high. Most
of the time more electricity is created than is actually needed,
because electricity cannot be stored. Electricity demands vary
throughout the year and provision must meet the peak load, which
means the highest possible demand within a year. If demands
significantly exceed a power plant's capacity to generate energy this
may cause temporary blackouts.

Historically, fossil fuels were available in plentiful supply that was

easy to obtain and transport. But now signals are given that the
supply is running out and that it will take centuries to be replenished.
Both sources and sinks of fossil fuels are limiting in their use. Sources
are deep earth layers and sinks are for example air and water, which
absorb fossil fuel waste products.
Burning fossil fuels is responsible for environmental issues that are
high on the political agenda these days. Examples are greenhouse
gas accumulation, acidification, air pollution, water pollution, damage
to land surface and ground-level ozone. These environmental
problems are caused by release of pollutants that are naturally
present in fossil fuel structures, such as sulphur and nitrogen.
Currently, oil burning is responsible for about 30% of all carbon
dioxide emissions to air. Natural gas does not release as much carbon
dioxide because of its methane structure. The largest emissions are
cause by coal combustion. Coal may result in underground fires that
are virtually impossible to extinguish. Coal dust can even explode.
This makes coal mining a very dangerous profession. Oil may end up
in soil or water in raw form, for example during oil spills or wars. This
has caused many natural disasters in the past.