Burning and Combustion

Burning and Combustion

When we burn a candle, paper, kerosene, coal, wood or cooking gas (LPG), oxygen is needed. The oxygen needed for the burning of candle, paper, kerosene, coal, wood and cooking gas comes from the air around us. Thus, for burning a substance continuously so as to make fire, a continuous supply of fresh air is needed. If we cut off the supply of fresh air to a burning substance, then the burning substance will not get oxygen necessary for burning to continue and hence the substance will stop burning. In rockets, as they go high in the atmosphere, the availability of oxygen is considerably reduced. Therefore in rockets along with the fuel, oxygen is also carried for combustion.

The process of burning of a substance in the presence of oxygen and releasing a large amount of light and heat is called burning. If the process does not emit flame then it is called combustion.

Activity 4: Oxygen is necessary for burning

Place two candles on a table. Ensure that both the candles are of same size and height. Mark them as candle 1 and candle 2 using a chalkpiece. Light both the candles. Now, cover candle 2 with glass tumbler as shown in the figure Observe the happenings at both the candles.

What does happen to candle 1? _________

What does happen to candle 2? _________

Can you guess why did the  covered candle extinguish? _________

Let us summarize the happenings.

The candle 1 continues to burn, unless it is blown – off by strong moving air or any other external force. This is because fresh air is continuously available to the candle for its burning process.

Candle 2 glows for a while and then gets put – off. When the burning candle is covered with a glass tumbler, the candle can use the oxygen available in the air inside the glass tumbler. Since only a small amount of air is present inside the glass tumbler – only a small portion of oxygen is available for the candle to continue glowing. When all the oxygen of the air inside the gas jar is used up, then the burning candle gets extinguished.

Now, repeat the candle – glowing experiment taking four containers of different sizes. For example, you can take a 250ml conical flask, a 500ml bottle, a one – litre jar, a two – litre jar. Cover the burning candle one by one with these containers and find out how long it takes for the candle to extinguish in each case. Record your observations in the following table.

Can you write interpretation based on your observations at the table? _________