Danny

Well first off, dont you think 3 gallons is a bit large a synthesis?

im currently on the same project. the run time will be dependent on amperes. 3 gallons of saturate Aqueous KCl at 12 volts which im assuming is something like ten amps, will take something like 2 weeks....

some problems ive run into is corrosion of the container, remember your dealing with Chlorine gas. be sure to google-up some of the properties of the plastic..

To anwser this, I am assuming you mean the act of combustion and not the flame itself.

 

Burnign is, at the simplest level, a chemical reaction; one set of chemical bonds are replaced by another set (normally stronger). For a reaction to occur, the change in Gibbs free energy (G) should be negative. Since G=H-TS, for a given temperature, an exothermic reaction with an increase in the number of molecules will be very favourable.

 

The majority of fuels have lots of carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds (e.g. petrol, wax, wood, etc.) in them. These bonds are relatively strong, however, carbon-oxygen bonds are stronger. When the fuel is burnt, these bonds are replaced with carbon-oxygen double bonds and hydrogen-oxygen bonds. These bonds are stronger than the starting bonds and so there is an enthalpic gain when they are replaced.

 

Carbon-Carbon = 347 kJmol^-1

Carbon-hydrogen = 435 kJmol^-1

Oxygen-carbon double = 805 kJmol^-1

Oxygen-hydrogen = 464kJmol^-1

Oxygen-oxygen = 498kJmol^-1

 

So for example, burning pentane, the equation is

C₅H₁₂ + 8O₂ ==> 5CO₂ + 6H₂O

 

The enthalpy of the starting material is:

5(C-C) + 12(C-H) + 8(O=O)

5(347) + 12(435) + 8(498) = 10939kJmol^-1

 

The enthalpy of the products:

10(C=O) + 12(O-H)

5(805) + 12(464) = 9593kJmol^-1

 

Therefore the change in enthalpy of this reaction is 9593-10939 = -1346kJmol^-1 (i.e. its exothermic and favourable).

 

Another favourable aspect to consider is that there is an increase in entropy. There are 9 starting material molecules and 11 product molecules...so overal, burning a fuel has a negative change in Gibbs energy and so is favourable.

 

Thats probably a little more indepth than you wanted but o well!

I think you could have been a little bit more indepth actually, but i understand.... its quite expensive to ship a textbook!

thank you all very much. good answers, i learned a bit.

ive never had a satisfactory description of how fire works. im talking about like wood, or alcohol and the sort.

right, hydrochloric. sorry. i got the two confused, but they are both halogens so i guess thats where the confusion came from. thats my mistake.

im pretty sure this was a thread for NOVEL self defense, like a JOKE. I was going to suggest carrying a glass bottle with a glass stopper of hydro-flouric acid with you wherever you go, crash that down at your assailants feet and insta threat-b-gone. could we at least make this a chemistry discussion. forget about flipping pepper spray, unless you wish to discuss the capsasin in it reacting with your eyes

unitednuclear sells it very cheap actually

no idea there. why do you need it?

i would say it is definably a language already!

you need to very activly try to learn it and become familiar with it by speaking (or writing) it.

so for my science fair, im going to make some c60, and perfect the process (variables volts, amps, vacuum pressure, electrode spacing)

but i dont have anything to do with whatever i make, so im happy to sell it! please answer the poll on wether or not your would be interested in buying some of it. oh, and i will separate the graphitic carbon with toluene solution.

Cuthber is entirely right.

if you dont know what your doing, you may well end up in a hospital bed.

even with alcohol!

if you dont know anything about fractional distillation, you might drink too much methanol (the head) and go blind!

its pretty simple though. good luck.

Im curious as to how you think that making table salt is easy? ide like to know where your getting your pure sodium metal.