its-a-throw-away_ t1_jeag2ao wrote
Reply to comment by NameUnavail in ELI5: if a flame needs oxygen to burn then why it doesn't our atmosphere explode from a single flame? by [deleted]
Actually, fire needs 4 things:
- oxygen
- fuel
- heat
- chemical reaction
Remove any of these elements, and ignition cannot occur.
Coomb t1_jeau7mi wrote
It's more accurate to say that fire is the chemical reaction than it is to say that fire needs a chemical reaction.
its-a-throw-away_ t1_jeb5m89 wrote
The old fire triangle was changed to the fire "tetrahedron" which includes "chemical reaction" after chemical extinguishants were developed that solely disrupt the ability for oxygen and fuel to combine quickly enough to sustain fire. These extinguishants do not displace oxygen or fuel, or absorb heat, but inhibit the reaction itself as a catalyst's functional opposite.
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