jmturn (12/03/82)
"Pure Oxygen burns so nicely" It is more accurate to say that pure oxygen promotes oxidation so nicely (no big surprise there...) The key thing to remember is that a spark in a pure oxygen atmosphere doesn't cause the room to blow up, but if the spark lands on a couch, the couch is going to be awfully likely to combust in quick fashion. The reason you don't smoke when O2 is in use is to prevent your seat/the floor from going up if you drop the bloody thing. Flaming without Oxygen James
FISCHER@RUTGERS@sri-unix (12/07/82)
From: Ron <FISCHER at RUTGERS> In reply to James (mitccc!jmturn) message. Hmm, so I guess now we have seen an anerobic flamer? Of course on this list there are often quite a few "flames in a vacuum." (ron) -------
REM@MIT-MC@sri-unix (12/08/82)
From: Robert Elton Maas <REM at MIT-MC> I think you're confusing the transitive and intransitive verb "burn". Something can burn <intransitive> meaning it itself burns, or something can burn something else <transitive>. The Sun doesn't burn, it just glows, but it burns you. Oxygen doesn't burn, but it burns things. That's just a quibble on English usage, but here's something factual you missed. The reason you don't smoke <cigarettes> in oxygen atmosphere is because it's not much fun having the whole cigarette burn at high temperature in a flash fire that lasts about 1 or 2 seconds, not even giving you time to get the damn thing out of your mouth before it scalds your lips. That of course assumes you can light the thing in the first place. If you use a match, it'll scald your finger instantly as the match burns as fast as the cigarette would, not giving you time to touch it to the cigarette before it's all burned up. You'll have to use the flint from a cigarette lighter (an empty lighter should work fine) placed within spark distance of the cigarette. Then you'll successfully set your cigarette on fire and burn your lips as above. The chance that the cigarette might be still burning 3 seconds after you are done with it and might fall on upholstery and set it afire is the least of your worries.