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 Why is it not always a good idea to extinguish fire using water |
LK
Number Posts: 11
Last Post: 16.12.2009, 11:21
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| Monday, 28. September 2009 at 20:24 |
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The nature of fire is so unique as compared to water or soil which you can put in a cup or hold it in your hand. Nevertheless fire can be classified as a fluid in fluid mechanics but again it can uniquely categorised as plasma. Plasma is one of the lightest substance on earth if not the lightest of all, and thus fire. The forces holding the particles together in plasma are so strong and give fire the ability to fly as a cloud of flame but without leaving the burning source. Because of the lightness and the strong intermolecular forces in plasma, it is very difficult to hold a flame seperate from a burning source, and also to cut a flame in two seperate parts. This is why if you try to catch flame and hold it in your hands, the moment you try it, you also find the flame below your hands. Try it. That is shearing in Fluid mechanics. The idea can now to extended to extinguishing fire using water. Pouring water on a flame causes the fire to spread much more unless enough water with high pressure or poured at high speed is used. This is becausa plasma particles are very strongly bonded to each other, and their very low density gives the the ability to spread as water rushes over it, thus shearing it.
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