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Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. [1] [a] Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion reaction when the fuel reaches its ignition point.
Substances with low combustibility may be selected for construction where the fire risk must be reduced, such as apartment buildings, houses, or offices. If combustible resources are used there is greater chance of fire accidents and deaths. Fire resistant substances are preferred for building materials and furnishings.
The alchemist and physician J. J. Becher proposed the phlogiston theory.. The phlogiston theory, a superseded scientific theory, postulated the existence of a fire-like element dubbed phlogiston (/ f l ɒ ˈ dʒ ɪ s t ən, f l oʊ-,-ɒ n /) [1] [2] contained within combustible bodies and released during combustion.
While activation energy must be supplied to initiate combustion (e.g., using a lit match to light a fire), the heat from a flame may provide enough energy to make the reaction self-sustaining. The study of combustion is known as combustion science. Combustion is often a complicated sequence of elementary radical reactions.
Plasma is called the fourth state of matter after solid, liquid, and gas. [16] [17] [18] It is a state of matter in which an ionized substance becomes highly electrically conductive to the point that long-range electric and magnetic fields dominate its behaviour. [19] [20]
The fire triangle or combustion triangle is a simple model for understanding the necessary ingredients for most fires. [1] The triangle illustrates the three elements a fire needs to ignite: heat, fuel, and an oxidizing agent (usually oxygen). [2] A fire naturally occurs when the elements are present and combined in the right mixture. [3]
Fire is an example of energy transformation Energy transformation using Energy Systems Language. Energy transformation, also known as energy conversion, is the process of changing energy from one form to another. [1] In physics, energy is a quantity that provides the capacity to perform work (e.g. lifting an object) or provides heat.
Flames of charcoal. A flame (from Latin flamma) is the visible, gaseous part of a fire.It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction made in a thin zone. [1] When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density, they are then considered plasma.