Question (science related)

[Paul11]

It has nothing o do with the temperature of the water. The water starves the fire of oxygen and puts it out. It is just a matter of how much water.

I worry sometimes about the world.

this..

water starves the fire of oxygen.

 

[AJUK]

Hi there,



Surely it's better to use colder water, as the higher the temperature of the water used the more likely it is to vapourise before it starves the fire of oxygen...

Doesn't water have a specific heat capacity of 4200 J/g or something? (I can't really remember as I did my physics A level a while ago...)

No, it is just a matter of how much water. If the fire vaporizes the water on contact then you haven't used enough water (i.e. there is still enough free oxygen for the fire to combust)

 

[helpimcrap]

cold water i'd imagine would take the energy better from the blaze. think about as transfer of energy.

to go from hot to cold takes more energy than from hot to warm.
i'd imagine either would do but cold would do a quicker job. fire needs oxygen taking away from it hence suffocation by blankets etc. the water would work in the same way.

 

[gillywibble]

Is it out yet?