COMBUSTION AND FLAME
CLASS-VIII
Combustion: It is a chemical reaction in which heat is
released by a material when it reacts with oxygen.
Fuel or Combustible Substance : Any material that
undergoes combustion is called a combustible
substance. It is also called as fuel. Some examples of
fuels are petrol, diesel, etc. The fuel may be in solid,
liquid or gas state. Sometimes, light is also given off
during combustion, either as a flame or as a glow.
COMPLETE AND INCOMPLETE COMBUSTION
Inflammable Substances:
Those materials which have low ignition temperature
and catch fire easily are termed as inflammable
substances. Example includes petrol, LPG, etc.
Things necessary for combustion to take place:
(i) Fuel or Combustible substance.
(ii) Air (With presence of Oxygen in it).
(iii) Temperature above the Ignition temperature.
Ignition Temperature:
(i) It is the minimum temperature at which any
material catches fire.
(ii) If the temperature of combustible
substance is lower than the ignition
temperature then the substance will not burn.
• Different Types of Combustion:
1. Rapid Combustion
In this type of combustion, the substances burns rapidly and
yield light and heat.
• Example:Bring a burning matchstick or a gas lighter near a gas
stove in the kitchen. Turn on the knob of the gas stove. We find
that the gas burns rapidly and produces heat and light.
• 2. Spontaneous Combustion:
In this type of combustion, substances burst out into flames
suddenly without any known reason.
•
Examples: Many disastrous fires in coal mines result due to this
kind of combustion. The heat rays coming from the sun or a
lightning strike might be responsible for this kind of combustion
• 3. Explosion:
In this type of combustion, all of a sudden
reaction results into heat, light and sound.
Moreover, large quantity of gas also gets
released.
• Example: When a fire cracker is ignited, a
sudden reaction takes place with the
evolution of heat, light and sound with the
large amount of gas.
Flame:
When something is burnt, a hot luminous gas
emerges out of the substance. This gas is
called as flame.Flames are result of the
substances which vaporizes on burning.
Example includes kerosene oil, wax, etc. which
form flames on burning.
• Matchsticks:
Since ages, matchsticks are in use. Long ago, Egyptians used
small pieces of pinewood dipped in sulphur as matches.
These days matchsticks are lot safer.
Modern matchsticks are made up with mixture of antimony
trisulphide and potassium chlorate with some glue and starch
applied on the head of the match. The rubbing surface has
powdered glass and some red phosphorous. On striking
match against rough surface, red phosphorous gets converted
into white phosphorous and it reacts with potassium chlorate
to ignite antimony trisulphate and so the combustion takes
place.
• Fuel:
The substance that undergoes combustion is called as
fuel. Examples of fuels are wood, charcoal, petrol, kerosene, etc.
• Characteristics of good fuel:
(i) It should easily be available.
(ii) It should be cheap.
(iii) It should generate large amount of heat.
(iv) It should not leave any unwanted matter after combustion.
• Ideal Fuel
(i) The fuel which satisfies all the characteristics of good fuel is
termed as an ideal fuel.
(ii) Probably, there is as such no ideal fuel present.
• Types of Fuels
• Fuels can mainly be divided into three groups:
• Liquid Fuels: Petroleum (which is a fossil fuel), crude oil
(from which we get petrol or gasoline), diesel, kerosene
oil etc.
• Solid Fuels: Firewood, charcoal, coal (fossil fuel which
is mined as steam coke or soft coke), dung cakes, tallow
(animal fat), straw and other agricultural wastes,
paraffin wax, camphor etc.
• Gaseous Fuels: Most commonly used gas is LPG (Liquid
Petroleum Gas) which we use as cooking gas at home.
Some of the other commonly used gaseous fuels are:
CALORIFIC VALUE
• Fuel Efficiency
(i) The quantity of heat generated on
combustion of 1 kg of a fuel is called its
calorific value.
(ii) Its unit is kilojoule per kg (kj/kg).
NUMERICAL
