Combustion Collection (page 4)

Water boiling experiment, 19th century
Water boiling experiment. This experiment demonstrated the principle that paper and cardboard will not burn as long as the energy of a flame is being used to boil water instead

Motor testing equipment
Sun 900 Scope Motor Tester in gas station service garage in Odell, Illinois on Americas Route 66. This historic testing equipment measured engine rpm, combustion efficiency and other parameters

Magnesium camera flash, 19th century
Magnesium camera flash, 19th-century artwork. Magnesium is a highly reactive metal, burning in air with a bright flame. In both wire and powder form

Sewage sludge burning plant
Sewage disposal. View of pipework at a sewage sludge combustion plant. Combustion is a common method of dealing with sewage sludge

Power station boiler
Boiler of a coal-fired power station. The boiler is used to generate superheated steam that is fed to a series of turbines. These are connected to generators to produce electricity

Nikolai Semyonov, Soviet chemist
Nikolai Nikolayevich Semyonov (1896-1986), Russian-Soviet chemist Nobel Laureate. Semyonov was born at Saratov and educated at the University of Petrograd

Climate change, conceptual image. The burning of coal produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming

Charred Wood
Example of wood which has been subject to high heat but where combustion was incomplete. During the combustion process, the visible flames within the fire come from the volatile compounds that are

Voskhod 2 spacecraft launch. Launch of the Soviet Voskhod 2 spacecraft carrying Pavel Belyaev and Alexei Leonov. Voskhod 2 was equipped with an inflatable airlock

Soyuz 13 rocket launch. Launch of the Soviet Soyuz 13 spacecraft carrying Pyotr Klimuk and Valentin Lebedev. Soyuz 13 was the Soviet Unions first dedicated science mission

Launch of Vostok 1 spacecraft, artwork
Launch of the Vostok-1 spacecraft carrying Yuri Gagarin on the first manned flight in space, April 12, 1961. Vostok-1 made one orbit of Earth

Investigating combustion of hydrogen. Image 1 of 3. Experiment to demonstrate the highly reactive nature of hydrogen in air

Burnt match, SEM
Burnt match. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the tip of a used match. Magnification: x20 when printed 10 centimetres wide

Strike anywhere match, SEM
Strike anywhere match. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the tip of an unburnt match. The head of a match is usually made from paraffin and combustible chemicals

Safety match, SEM
Safety match. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the tip of an unburnt match. The head of a match is usually made from paraffin and combustible chemicals

Lavoisiers experiment on air, 1776
Lavoisiers experiment on air. Historical artwork of the French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794) showing fellow scientists his 1776 experiment that revealed the composition of air

Fire whirl, artwork
Fire whirl, computer artwork. Also called a fire tornado, this phenomenon can develop above large fires as the heat causes the formation of a vertical vortex of rotating air

Burning wood on an open fire. Unlike fossil fuels, the carbon released by burning wood on an open fire is carbon neutral, as the same amount of carbon dioxide would be released when the wood rotted

Industrial air pollution. Smoke billowing from a steel mills chimney stacks

Industrial atmospheric pollution. Smoke emerging from the top of a tall industrial chimney (right). Chimneys like this disperse combustion pollutants into the atmosphere high above ground level

Match tip. Close-up of the tip of an unburnt match

Matches. Close-up of the tips of three unburnt matches

Fire

Campfire

Cracks of fire. Computer artwork of a fire glowing through cracks

Lit gas ring

Close-up of a set of matches igniting
Matches. Close-up of a set of matches igniting. Matches are made to ignite when their heads (red) are heated by friction. The tip of each match has a layer of the chemical phosphorous trisulphide

Picryl chloride explosive molecule
Picryl chloride explosive, molecular model. This highly reactive explosive, also known as chlorotrinitrobenzene, forms a white crystalline powder at room temperature

Calcium flame test. Calcium burning in air, producing an orange flame. The colour of the flame is caused by electrons that have been excited to a higher energy state

Sooty flame. Alkene (oct-1-ene) burning in a crucible with a sooty (smoky) flame. Alkenes are unsaturated (double bonded) organic molecules. The sooty flame is characteristic of alkenes

Paraffin lamp burning. Paraffin is a mixture of alkane hydrocarbons

Burning sugar on a spoon

Sparks from a thermite reaction
Thermite reaction. Time-exposure image of sparks caused by a thermite reaction as an aluminium wrench strikes a block of rusty iron (iron oxide)

Molecular model of the explosive TNT
TNT. Molecular model of the explosive TNT, or trinitrotoluene (formula: C7H5N3O6). The atoms are spherical and colour-coded: carbon (blue), oxygen (red), hydrogen (white) and nitrogen (light blue)

Iron filings in pure oxygen
Iron filings on a combustion spoon in a jar of pure oxygen. No reaction is occurring here as iron is not a very reactive metal

Sodium burning in air. Sodium (Na) is a highly reactive metallic element from group one of the periodic table. It burns in air, reacting with atmospheric oxygen (O2) to form sodium oxide (Na2.O)

Flames, computer artwork

Fireball from liquid petroleum gas explosion

Fire. Flammable liquid burning on the ground

Oxyacetylene flame (blue) from an oxyacetylene torch or burner. This torch burns a mixture of oxygen and acetylene (ethyne, C2H2)

Candles burning

Potassium burning in air. Potassium (K) is a soft, highly reactive, alkali metal. In air it will burn with a brilliant flame to form potassium dioxide (or potassium superoxide, KO2)

Candle flames. Conceptual image of three coloured candle flames representing the RGB (red, green and blue) colours that are combined to produce other colours

Fire of smokeless fuel

Propane burner. Lit hob of a propane burner

Sulphur burning in air. Sulphur being burnt on a spoon, producing a blue flame. Sulphur is the tenth most abundant element in the universe. At room temperature it is a pale yellow, odourless solid

Close-up of a flame from a sheet of paper
Close-up of the flame from a sheet of paper

Copper powder in pure oxygen
Copper powder on a combustion spoon in a jar of pure oxygen. No reaction is occurring here as copper is not a very reactive metal

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"Unleashing the Fiery Power: Exploring the Mysteries of Combustion" Fire, a mesmerizing element that has captivated mankind since ancient times. From flame tests in laboratories to spontaneous combustion, combustion remains an enigma waiting to be unraveled. In 1961, the launch of Vostok 1 spacecraft marked a milestone in human history as Yuri Gagarin became the first person to orbit Earth. The roaring flames beneath propelled him into space, showcasing the incredible power of controlled combustion. But not all instances are within our control. Paranormal tales have whispered about mysterious fires erupting without any apparent cause - spontaneous combustion defying scientific explanation and leaving us perplexed. As we delve deeper into this fiery realm, we encounter intriguing symbols like the Champion Spark Plug Service Sign – an emblem representing precision and efficiency in igniting engines with a spark. However, amidst these wonders lies a dark side. Tragic accidents remind us of the devastating consequences when fire spirals out of control. Figure 1 depicts a terrible incident where a lady finds herself ablaze - a haunting reminder that vigilance is crucial when dealing with combustible materials. Yet beyond such tragedies lie everyday marvels associated with combustion. The warmth emanating from burning wood or flickering candles creates cozy environments and evokes feelings of comfort and tranquility. Returning to history's pages once more, Charles Dickens' "Bleak House" introduced readers to another facet of this phenomenon - spontaneous human combustion depicted as an eerie occurrence shrouded in mystery during Victorian times. Combustion continues its dance through time, captivating our senses while posing questions yet unanswered by science. Its allure persists as it illuminates both our physical world and our imagination alike – reminding us that within every flame lies untapped potential waiting for discovery.