COMBUSTION AND FLAME

Sayan Roy
Scientia Ipsa Potentia Est
2022

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Contents
1 Combustion 3

2 Combustion of Magnesium 3

3 Combustion of Charcoal 3

4 Combustible substances 3

5 Non-combustible substances 3

6 Conditions necessary for combustion 3

7 Presence of combustible substance 4

8 Presence of supporter of combustion 4

9 Ignition temperature 4

10 The ignition temperature of different substances are different. 4

11 Lightning of matchstick 5

12 Types of Combustion 5

13 Rapid Combustion 6

14 Spontaneous Combustion 6

15 Explosive Combustion 6

16 How to control fire 6

16.1 Remove the fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
16.2 Cut off the air supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

17 There are 3 types of fuels: 8

18 Calorific value of fuel 8

19 Characteristics of ideal fuel 9

20 Structure of flame 9

21 Burning of fuels leads to harmful products 10

22 The use of petrol and diesel as fuels in automobiles is being replaced by CNG
because: 11

23 Disadvantages of burning wood as fuel are as follow: 11

24 LPG is a better domestic fuel than wood due to: 11

25 Compare LPG and wood as fuels 11

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1 Combustion
A chemical process in which a substance reacts with the oxygen to give heat and light is called
combustion. The light which is given off during combustion can be in the form of flame or as
a glow. The substance which undergoes combustion is said to be combustible.It is called fuel.

2 Combustion of Magnesium
If a magnesium ribbon is heated,it starts burning.When a magnesium ribbon burns,it combines
with the oxygen of air to form magnesium oxide,and liberates heat and light.
M agnesium + Oxygen → M agnesiumoxide + heat + Light The burning of magnesium in
air to produce heat and light is a combustion process.Magnesium is a combustible substance.

3 Combustion of Charcoal
When charcoal burns,then the carbon of charcoal combines with the oxygen of air to form
carbon dioxide.A lot of heat is produced in the combustion reaction but only a little light is
produced.
Carbon(Charcoal) + oxygen → Carbondioxide + heat + light
Oxygen is necessary for combustion to take place.It is a supporter of combustion.
1. Food is a fuel for our body.During respiration,the digested food is broken down by the
reaction with oxygen in the body cells to produce carbon dioxide,water and heat en-
ergy.This heat energy is utilised by our body.Respiration is a kind of slow combustion of
food which take place in the body to produce heat energy.
2. The rust is formed when iron slowly combines with the oxygen present in air to form iron
oxide.The process of rusting of iron is an example of slow combustion.
3. The sun produce heat and light .In the sun,heat and light are produced due to nuclear
reactions.

4 Combustible substances
Those substances which can burn are called combustible substances. For Ex:Cloth,straw, cook-
ing gas, kerosene oil, wood, coal,charcoal etc. A combustible substance is called as fuel.

5 Non-combustible substances
Those substances which do not burn are called non-combustible substances. For Ex:Stone,cement,glass,bricks,soil,sand
nails,copper objects.

6 Conditions necessary for combustion

There are three conditions which are necessary for combustion to take place:
1. Presence of combustible substance
2. Presence of supporter of combustion
3. Heating the combustible substance to its ignition temperature

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7 Presence of combustible substance
The presence of combustible substance is necessary for combustion to take place.It is actually
the food for fire.

8 Presence of supporter of combustion

The most common supporter of combustion which we have around us is air. For example:

1. If burning charcoal is covered with a vessel,it stops burning after some time,ie,the charcoal
fire gets extinguished after some time.Actually when we cover the burning charcoal with a
vessel,the supply of supporter of combustion to the burning charcoal is cut off and hence
the charcoal fire stops.

2. When the clothes of person catch fire,the person is covered with a blanket to extinguish
the fire.This is because when the burning clothes of a person are covered with a blanket,the
supply of air to the burning clothes is cut off due to which the clothes stop burning-the
fire gets extinguished.

We find that when the supply of supporter of combustion to a burning substance is cut off,then
the process of burning also stops.

9 Ignition temperature
The lowest temperature at which a substance catches fires and starts burning is called ignition
temperature. It is necessary to heat a combustible substance to its ignition temperature so that
it may undergo combustion For Ex:The ignition temperature of paper is 233◦ C.This means that
a paper has to be heated at least to a temperature of 233◦ C so that it may catch fire and start
burning. A combustible substance cannot catch fire as long as its temperature is lower than its
ignition temperature. A piece of paper does not catch fire at the room temperature because
the ignition temperature of paper is much higher than the room temperature. When we apply
a burning matchstick to the piece of paper,it starts burning because the heat produced by
burning matchstick heats the piece of paper to its ignition temperature and makes it burn.

10 The ignition temperature of different substances are

different.
1. Some of the substances have low ignition temperature. For Ex:Paper,splinter of wood,
straw,cloth,alcohol,kerosene,biogas,LPG,CNG etc. The substances which have very low
ignition temperature and can easily catch fire with a flame are called inflammable sub-
stance.These substances are very dangerous to use. Petrol has a much lower ignition
temperature than that of kerosene.Due to its very low ignition temperature,petrol catches
fire easily on being lightened with a matchstick and burns explosively.That is why it is
not used in stoves. Kerosene has a higher ignition temperature due to which it burns
smoothly in kerosene stove.

2. Some of the substances have high ignition temperature. For Ex:Coal,charcoal,log of wood,
cow-dung. The substances which have very high ignition temperature and cannot easily
catch fire.

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11 Lightning of matchstick
A matchstick does not catch fire and burn on its own at room temperature because the ignition
temperature of matchstick is higher than the room temperature.A matchstick starts burning
on rubbing it on the side of the matchbox because the heat produced by friction heats the
chemical at the head of the matchstick to their ignition temperature and makes it catch fire.

Kerosene oil and wood do not catch fire on their own at room temperature because the
ignition temperature of kerosene oil and wood are higher than the room temperature.If kerosene
is heated little it will catch fire easily because kerosene oil has a comparatively low ignition
temperature which is reached even on little heating.

If wood is heated a little,it does not catch fire because wood has a higher ignition temper-
ature which is not reached by little heat being supplied to it by a matchstick.

We see cooking oil in a frying pan catching fire when the frying pan is kept over a burning
stove for a long time because the cooking oil gets heated to its ignition temperature when kept
over a burning stove for a long time.

A matchstick can light a tiny splinter of wood but not a big log of wood.A splinter of wood
has a low ignition temperature.A burning matchstick can produce sufficient heat to reach the
ignition temperature of the splinter of wood therefore a matchstick can light a splinter of wood
directly. The ignition temperature of log of wood is high and cannot be reached by the small
heat produced by a burning matchstick.So,a matchstick cannot light a log of wood directly.In
order to burn a log of wood,a small fire is first started by burning straw with a matchstick,and
then the log of wood is placed over this fire.Heat of this fire then heats the log of wood to its
ignition temperature due to which the log of wood starts burning and some pieces of cloth is
ignited by a lighted matchstick,it starts burning.The heat produced by the burning of kerosene
soaked cloth makes the pieces of wood to burn,the coal pieces are then placed over the burning
wood pieces.The large heat produced by the burning wood pieces heats the coal to its ignition
temperature due to which the coal also starts burning.

The forest fires occur during the hottest summer days.During extreme heat of summer,sometimes
the ignition temperature of dry grass in the forest is reached,the fire spreads to bushes and
trees,and very soon the whole forest is on fire.

It is difficult to burn a heap of green leaves but dry leaves catch fire easily.The green leaves
contain a lot of water.This water does not allow the green leaves to get heated to their ignition
temperature and makes burning of green leaves difficult.Dry leaves do not contain water,they
get heated to their ignition temperature easily and hence catches fire easily.

12 Types of Combustion
The three important types of combustion are:

1. Rapid combustion

2. Spontaneous combustion

3. Explosive combustion

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13 Rapid Combustion
The combustion reaction in which a large amount of heat and light are produced in a short
time is called rapid combustion. For Example :

1. The immediate burning of cooking gas in a gas stove to give heat and light.

2. The burning of kerosene oil in kerosene stove.

3. Burning of wax in a candle

14 Spontaneous Combustion
The combustion reaction which occur on its own(without the help of any external heat)is called
Spontaneous combustion. It place at room temperature. The heat required for spontaneous
combustion is produced inside the substance by its slow oxidation. Spontaneous combustion
take place at room temperature. The heat required for spontaneous combustion is produced
inside the substance by its slow oxidation. It is usually undergone by those substances which
have quite low ignition temperature. For Example :

1. The burning of White phosphorus on its own at room temperature is an example of

spontaneous combustion.

2. The spontaneous combustion of coal dust has resulted in many disastrous fires in coal
mines.

3. Forest fire can also be started by spontaneous combustion reaction due to the heat of the
sun or due to spark of lightning from the sky.

4. Spontaneous combustion of straw and forest wood take place leading to forest fires.

15 Explosive Combustion
A very fast combustion reaction in which a large amount of heat, light and sound are produced
is called explosive combustion. A large amount of gases is released quickly. It is the rapid
expansion of these gases which causes a loud sound. The fireworks which we explode during
festivals work on the explosive combustion of substances. When a cracker is ignited with a
burning matchstick, the chemicals present in it undergoes a sudden combustion producing
heat, light and a large volume of gases.

16 How to control fire

Burning produces fire.It is useful as well as harmful.We make small fire in a gas stove to
cook our food.This is useful fire.Without fire,we cannot cook food. When fire breaks out in
a house,office,factory,oil tanker,petrol pump,then the fire is harmful.It can cause loss of life or
property. The process of extinguishing a fire is called fire-fighting. Any fire needs three things
to be present:

1. Combustible substance(Fuel)

2. Air

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 3. Heat

Fire can be extinguished in 3 ways:

1. By removing the fuel

2. By removing the heat

3. By cutting off the air supply to the burning substance

16.1 Remove the fuel

When fire starts in a room,all the combustible substances should be removed at once so that
fire may not spread.If possible,cooking gas cylinder should be removed and electricity should
be switched off.

Water is used to remove heat from a burning substance and to male it too cool to burn
further.Water extinguishes heat by cooling the burning substance.When water is thrown on a
burning substance,it gets cooled below its ignition temperature and also stops burning.

When fire brigade man throws a strong stream of water on a building on fire,the burning
material get cooled to below their ignition temperature and fire is extinguished.The water
vapour produced by the action of heat of fire on water surround the burning material and help
in cutting off the supply of air.Fire-men extinguishes the fire by throwing water under pressure
on the burning things.

The fire produced by burning oil and petrol cannot be extinguished by using water.This is
because water is heavier than oil and petrol.So,when water is thrown over burning oil,it settles
down.The oil floats on water and continues to burn.

The fires caused by the electrical short circuit in an electrical appliance or in electric wiring
should not be extinguished by throwing water.Because ordinary water conducts electricity.So
when water is thrown over the burning electrical appliance,it can give electric shock to the
person involved in the fire fighting.

16.2 Cut off the air supply

The air supply to a burning substance can be cut off in a number of ways such as covering the
burning substance with carbon dioxide,sand,blanket or a damp cloth. The electrical fires are
extinguished by using carbon dioxide gas fire extinguisher.

Advantages

1. Carbon dioxide is denser than air and forms a layer around the burning substance.It covers
the fire like a blanket due to which fresh air cannot reach the burning substance.The
burning substance does not get oxygen of air and hence stops burning.

2. Carbon dioxide gas neither burns itself nor supports burning.

3. It does not harm the electrical equipment.

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 The fires caused by the burning of inflammable materials like oil or petrol are also extin-
guished by using carbon dioxide fire extinguishers.

Carbon dioxide used for extinguishing the fire can be stored as a liquid at high pressure in
cylinders. When released form the cylinder, carbon dioxide expands enormously in volume and
cools down.Carbon dioxide not only forms a blanket around the burning substance,it also cools
down the burning substance.

To obtain carbon dioxide for extinguishing a fire is to release a lot of dry powder of chemicals
like sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate over the fire.The heat of fire decomposes these
chemicals to produce carbon dioxide gas.

A small fire can be extinguished by throwing sand or soil over it.When sand is thrown over
burning kerosene oil,the sand covers it like blanket.The sand cuts off the air supply to the
burning kerosene oil due to which the fire gets extinguished.

If the clothes of a person working in the kitchen catch fire,the person is immediately
covered with a blanket.When the burning clothes of a person are covered with a blanket,the
supply of air to the burning clothes is cut off and hence the burning stops.
A material which is burnt to produce heat is called a fuel.

For Ex:Wood,coal,LPG,Kerosene,petrol,diesel,natural gas,biogas.

A fuel is a very good source of heat.The heat energy produced by burning a fuel can be
used directly to cook food,for running motor vehicles and factory machines,can be converted
into electrical energy at thermal power stations.

17 There are 3 types of fuels:

1. Solid Fuels:Wood,charcoal,coal,coke,cow-dung cakes.

2. Liquid Fuels:Kerosene,petrol,diesel,alcohol.

3. Gaseous fuels:Coal gas,natural gas

18 Calorific value of fuel

Different fuels produce different amounts of heat on burning. The amount of heat produced by
the complete burning or combustion of 1 Kilogram of a fuel is called its calorific value. The
calorific value of a fuel is expressed in the unit of Kilojoulesperkilogram. For Ex:The calorific
value of kerosene is 45000KJ/Kg means when 1Kg of kerosene is burned completely then
45000KJ of heat energy is produced. The calorific value of a fuel is also known as heat value.
The calorific value of LPG is 55000KJ/Kg means when 1Kg of LPG is burned completely then
55000KJ of heat energy is produced.

The calorific value of LPG is much higher than the calorific value of cow-dung cakes and
coal.This means that burning of a given amount of LPG will produce much more heat than
burning the same amount of cow-dung cakes or coal.

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19 Characteristics of ideal fuel
1. It has a high calorific value.
2. It burns easily in air at a moderate rate
3. It has proper ignition temperature
4. It does not produce any harmful gases or leaves any residue after burning
5. It is cheap,readily available,easy to transport.

A flame is a region where combustion or burning of gaseous substances take place.

All the gases which undergoes combustion produces flame.But only those solids and liquid
fuels which vaporise on being heated,burn with the flame.

Some of the substances which burn by producing flames are LPG, CNG, biogas, wax,
camphor, magnesium, kerosene oil, mustard oil.

If we heat magnesium ribbon over a burner,we find that the magnesium ribbon burns by
producing a brilliant white flame.

Wax candle and kerosene oil lamp have wicks.Molten wax and kerosene oil rise through the
wick,get vaporised during burning and form flames.

Charcoal is a solid fuel which does not vaporise on heating.So,charcoal does not burn by
producing a flame.Coal is a solid fuel which does not vaporise on heating.So,coal also does not
burn by producing a flame.Coal just glow red on combustion.

1. When the oxygen supply or air supply is insufficient,then the fuels burn incompletely
producing mainly a yellow flame.The yellow flame is caused by the glow of hot unburnt
carbon particles produced due to incomplete combustion of fuel.This yellow flame pro-
duces light,so it is said to be luminous flame.

When kerosene is burned in a lamp,it also burns with a yellow flame.

2. When the oxygen supply or air supply is sufficient,then the fuels burn completely pro-
ducing mainly a blue flame. This blue flame does not produce much light,so it is said to
be non-luminous flame.

In LPG stove,the LPG burns with a blue flame.The design of the burner of kitchen gas stove
is such that it provides sufficient air for the complete combustion of LPG.

20 Structure of flame
A flame consist of three zones.These are Innermost zone,middle zone,outer zone.The three zones
of a flame have different colours and different temperature.
1. The Innermost zone of a flame is dark or black:It consist of hot,unburnt vapours of the
combustible material.It is the least hot part of the flame.It is the coldest part of the flame.

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 Figure 1: Structure of flame

2. The middle zone of a flame is yellow:It is bright and luminous.The fuel vapours burn
partially in the middle zone because there is not enough air of burning in this zone.The
partial burning of fuel in the middle zone produces carbon particles.These carbon particles
then leave the flame as smoke and soot.It has moderate temperature.

3. The outer zone of a flame is blue:It is a non-luminous zone.In this zone,complete combus-
tion of the fuel takes place because there is plenty of air around it.The outermost zone
has the highest temperature in the flame.It is the hottest part of the flame.It is quite thin
as compared to middle zone.

Goldsmiths blow air with a blowpipe to intensify a kerosene lamp flame for melting and mould-
ing pieces of gold and silver into desired shapes to make jewellery. When air is blown through
blowpipe into the flame, it helps in the combustion of the unburnt fuel and hence make the
flame hotter.

21 Burning of fuels leads to harmful products

The important harmful effects produced by the burning of fuels are:

1. The burning of fuels like wood,coal and petroleum products releases unburnt carbon
particles in the air:These fine carbon particles are dangerous pollutants which can cause
respiratory diseases.

2. Incomplete combustion of fuels produces a very poisonous gas called carbon monox-
ide:Excessive inhaling of carbon dioxide gas can kill a person.We should never sleep in a
room with closed door and windows,and having a coal fire burning inside.This is because
when coal burns in an insufficient supply of air in the room,then a lot of carbon monoxide
is produced.when the person sleeping in this room breathe in poisonous carbon monoxide
gas,they may all dies.

3. Burning of fuels releases carbon dioxide in air in the environment:Increased percentage of

carbon dioxide in air is causing global warming.Carbon dioxide gas in the air trap sun’s
heat rays by producing green house effect. Global warming is the rise in temperature of
earth atmosphere caused by the excessive amount of carbon dioxide in the air.Due to rise
in the temperature of atmosphere,the ice in polar regions will melt very fast,producing
a lot of water.This water may cause a rise in the sea level leading to floods in coastal

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 areas.The low-lying areas may be completely submerged under water leading to loss of
life and property.

4. Burning of coal,petrol and diesel produces sulphur dioxide which goes into the air:It is an
extremely suffocating and corrosive gas.It may damage our lungs.The burning of petrol
and diesel in the engines of vehicles also releases nitrogen oxides into the air.
These oxide produced by the burning of the fuels dissolve in rain water and form acids. The
rain water containing acid is called acid rain.

22 The use of petrol and diesel as fuels in automobiles

is being replaced by CNG because:
1. It produces very small amount of harmful gases.

2. It burns without smoke so it is a clean fuel.

23 Disadvantages of burning wood as fuel are as follow:

1. It produces a lot of smoke which is very harmful for human being.It causes respiratory
diseases.

2. When trees are cut down to obtain wood for use as fuel,then all the useful substances
which are obtained from trees are lost.

3. Deforestation is very harmful for environment.

24 LPG is a better domestic fuel than wood due to:

1. It has higher calorific value,so it produces much more heat on burning than an equal mass
of wood.

2. It burns without leaving behind any smoke.

3. It burns completely without leaving behind any solid residue but wood leaves behind a
lot of ash on burning.

25 Compare LPG and wood as fuels

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