Spontaneous human combustion

if i may, i think the confusion comes from the fact that you can have some ethanol on your skin, set it on fire, and not feel much heat (at least initially).
This isn't because the flame isn't hot because if you can see the light from the flame it will be several hundred degrees, thats physics.
You don't feel much heat because the water/ethanol is evaporating on the skin taking away a lot of the heat and you also get an envelope of air that insulates your skin.

Put your other hand on the top of the flame and you find out that it is very hot.

Happy now ;)
 
aardvark said:
if i may, i think the confusion comes from the fact that you can have some ethanol on your skin, set it on fire, and not feel much heat (at least initially).
This isn't because the flame isn't hot because if you can see the light from the flame it will be several hundred degrees, thats physics.
You don't feel much heat because the water/ethanol is evaporating on the skin taking away a lot of the heat and you also get an envelope of air that insulates your skin.

Put your other hand on the top of the flame and you find out that it is very hot.

Happy now ;)
Click to expand...


The V2 rocket used a 70% or thereabouts water/alcohol mix as the fuel.

Quick google suggests that this mix has a flash point of around 17C (Therefore a fire point of around 30C)

Combustion temperature is however around 2500C.


YES it is possible to have a small amount of alcohol spilled on ones clothing (Or even held in ones hand) that night burn off before it manages to ignite other material/burn yous (Especially if it is clothing made of wool/cotton/linen which are actually pretty fire resistant)

But if you have had a whole bottle spilled over you (Say) you are going to burn...
 
Orionaut said:
The V2 rocket used a 70% or thereabouts water/alcohol mix as the fuel.

Quick google suggests that this mix has a flash point of around 17C (Therefore a fire point of around 30C)

Combustion temperature is however around 2500C.


YES it is possible to have a small amount of alcohol spilled on ones clothing (Or even held in ones hand) that night burn off before it manages to ignite other material/burn yous (Especially if it is clothing made of wool/cotton/linen which are actually pretty fire resistant)

But if you have had a whole bottle spilled over you (Say) you are going to burn...
Click to expand...

yeah of course i mean only a small amount!
 
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