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What Is Fire Made Of?
The
Chemical Composition of Fire
by
What is fire made of? You know that it generates
heat and light, but have you ever wondered about its chemical composition or
state of matter?
Chemical Composition of Fire
Fire is the result of a chemical
reaction called combustion.
At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point,
flames are produced.
Flames consist primarily of carbon dioxide, water
vapor, oxygen, and nitrogen.
State of Matter of Fire
In a candle flame or small fire,
most of the matter in a flame consists
of hot gases.
A very hot fire releases enough energy to ionize the
gaseous atoms, forming the state of matter called
plasma.
Examples of flames that contain plasma include those
produced by plasma torches and the thermite reaction.
Why Fire Is Hot
Fire emits
heat and light because the chemical reaction that produces
flames is exothermic.
In other words, combustion releases more energy than is
needed to ignite or sustain it.
In order for combustion to occur and flames to form,
three things must be present: fuel, oxygen, and energy (usually in the form of
heat).
Once energy starts the reaction, it continues so long
as fuel and oxygen are present.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
· Ph.D.
in biomedical sciences from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville - Oak
Ridge National Laboratory.
· Science
educator with experience teaching chemistry, biology, astronomy, and
physics at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
· ThoughtCo
and About Education chemistry expert since 2001.
· Widely-published
graphic artist, responsible for printable periodic tables and other
illustrations used in science.
Experience
Anne
Helmenstine, Ph.D. has covered chemistry for ThoughtCo and About Education
since 2001, and other sciences since 2013. She taught chemistry, biology,
astronomy, and physics at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
She has worked as a research scientist and also abstracting and indexing
diverse scientific literature for the Department of Energy.
In addition
to her work as a science writer, Dr. Helmenstine currently serves as a
scientific consultant, specializing in problems requiring an interdisciplinary
approach. Previously, she worked as a research scientist and college
professor.
Education
Dr.
Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of
Tennessee at Knoxville and a B.A. in physics and mathematics with a minor
in chemistry from Hastings College. In her doctoral work, Dr. Helmenstine
developed ultra-sensitive chemical detection and medical diagnostic tests.
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