What is Fire

[Money]

i kno its ounds stupid but wat is fire really

is it pure energy? a gas?

wat is it

[Sisyphus]

The process of burning is chemically bonding with oxygen in a rapid, self-sustaining reaction. The flame itself is the region where much of the reaction takes place between vaporized particles of the burning substance and airborne oxygen, which gives off enough energy to release photons in the visible spectrum.

[insane_alien]

to correct sisyphus, it is a plasma, not a gas. they are similar but distinct phases.

 

there are also photons emitted by the molecules themselves as they react and not just due to blackbody radiation

[Money]

if its burning O2 that causes the flame why every time someone

uses a lighter or makes a fire the whole atmosphere goes aflame

[Sisyphus]

If the O2 concentration were a lot higher, it would. But also remember it's not the oxygen that's burning, it's the fuel.

[Guest026]

i used to wonder all the time 'till i saw it on tv

[insane_alien]

if its burning O2 that causes the flame why every time someone

uses a lighter or makes a fire the whole atmosphere goes aflame

 

Well, the reaction requires more than one chemical. not only does it require an oxidiser(oxygen in this case) but it also requires a fuel(butane in this case) now, since the fuel is only in the lighter and released slowly opposed to being spread evenly throughout the atmosphere, the atmosphere will not blow up.

[YT2095]

a strange way to think about it is that if you were in a room full of pure Butane, you would need to fill your Lighter with Air in order to make it work

 

the simple way to describe fire is gases so hot that they Glow.

[Realitycheck]

It is a form of butane oxide that exists in plasma form, correct? Right before it dissipates?

[Drilon]

I might be out of line here but I think you should really check this image since we are talking about fire.

 

Its the image of the Fire in Zero Gravity

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Candlespace.jpg

[Quantoman]

it would probably disburse into miniscule particles in sphere shape.