Tetherton

Kingsley Tetherton

Mrs. Stevens

Life Science

21 February 2020

Which Natural Item Will Burn the Longest?

On a camping trip, a long time ago, my father and I were driving up the hill when we realized we

had forgotten all of the fire starting materials. When we got to the campsite noone was there so

we started a fire with some dead grass and some flint. I didn’t think it would work but my dad

insisted that it would, and it did! This made me start thinking of others camping and knew that

that would be my duty to show you which natural item around you will burn the longest. “I

thought that if the sticks would catch fire then it would burn longer, I was wrong, the dead

grass/hay burned the longest.”

What Precautions Should Be Taken When Burning Items?

People of the building should always regularly check fire hazards. Fire alarms are always

required in a workplace/building to alert the people that there might be a fire near them. Always

check and test that the fire alarms have working batteries. Some fire hazards are: a lot of

electrical equipment in one outlet, flammable liquids ajar. Blocked exits are things employees

should look out for in their workplace. You should look for lighted exit signs because there is

usually a way out of the building(Myers).

What Makes Items More Flammable?

Powdered creamer is made from chemicals and that should keep it out of sight from the stove

and other things that produce fire. Flour that has spoiled and is floating around could explode

when it comes in contact with fire. Snack items are very flammable when it comes in contact
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with a flame. Some snack items that are flammable are: potato chips, tortilla chips, cheese puffs

and other high-fat/carb snack foods. Dryer lint could cause a house fire if you don't place it in a

fire safety zone where fire couldn't reach. Rubbing alcohol should always be in a non-flammable

place safe from a fire(Schwartz).

How Do You Measure Fire Burn Rate?

Burning rate endurance is a big part of wooden structures. Burning rate really depends on species

of wood. Heat release is mostly about the mass of the material. By certain materials different

heat release, mass loss and charring. Charring rate is also mass. The easiest way to measure burn

rate is to see calculating mass loss rate and charring rate based on heat release rate(Tran).

How Does Density Affect an Items Combustion Rate?

It doesn’t matter whether it is a softwood or hardwood because it's important for the combustion

process is important for the heat value and the energy efficiency. Hardwoods burn longer than

softwoods. Softwoods are easier to chop but they burn faster. If you see on the wood it will make

it a faster time till combustion. The mixture in the wood matters because it affects combustion.

The volume of the wood doesn't matter if the wood is split or how its stacked(Combustion).

Why Does Some Firewood Produce Excessive Smoke?

Different types of wood affect how much flame and how much smoke will come out of the fire.

Oak wood is very common and it lasts fairly long time, if you are going camping make sure to

bring some Oak wood because it will most likely last through the night. Maple is a hard wood

that doesn’t produce a lot of smoke so it used in houses a lot. Birch trees are very uncommon

because of their patterned bark, Birch is a type of softwood which means it's easier to split but it

burns a lot faster. Pine trees are very popular, they are found in parks and even yards! Pine is a

type of softwood that will help the fire to start a flame that will last a while. Softwood trees and
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trees with pine needles are not usually ideal for burning(The).

What Color of Fire is the Hottest and What Color is the Coldest?

Flame comes in many different colors and some coordinate it with ROYGBIV. Red is a usually

cool color. Violet is considered very hot. White flames are the hottest. A red flame can range

between 500 to 800 degrees Celsius. A white flame can be 1,600 C or even more(What).

Conclusion

“I thought that if the sticks would catch a small fire then it will continue to burn for a while, and

I found out that I was wrong, the hay burned the longest.” All of the other items I have burned ,

trying to get the acorns to catch fire were very hard. They would catch a little then go completely

out. When the grass started burning it took a while to be settled, and so it lasted the longest. The

range of items lasted around 2-3 seconds each, or it never caught fire. The grass/ hay lasted

around 45 seconds.
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Works Cited

“Combustion of Wood - Heat Values.” Engineering ToolBox,

www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-combustion-heat-d_372.html.

Myers, Cynthia. “Fire Safety Rules in the Workplace.” Chron.com, Cynthia Myers, 9 Nov. 2016,

work.chron.com/fire-safety-rules-workplace-13632.html.

Schwartz, Donna Boyle. “13 Everyday Household Items You Had No Idea Are Flammable.”

BobVila.com, Bobvila.com, 17 Oct. 2018, www.bobvila.com/slideshow/13-everyday-

household-items-you-had-no-idea-are-flammable-52404#plastic-containers-flammable.

“The Best & Worst Trees For Firewood.” Mr. Tree, Inc., 9 Nov. 2017,

www.mrtreeservices.com/blog/best-worst-trees-firewood/.

Tran, H. C., and R. H. White. “Burning Rate of Solid Wood Measured in a Heat Release Rate

Calorimeter.”Fire and Materials. Vol. 16 (1992). :p. [197]-206 : Ill., 1 Jan. 1992,
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www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/5952.

“What Color Is the Hottest Flame?” Reference, IAC Publishing,

www.reference.com/science/color-hottest-flame-ea25c95668a5b0d1.