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Topher925
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While having a discussion with a friend the idea of fire being the fourth state of matter came up, in other words, a hot enough fire or "flame" can be considered plasma being the fourth state of matter. My response to this was, "No, fire or a "flame" is always in the gas phase, fire is the rapid oxidization of gases with oxygen which emits light and heat while plasma is a superheated gas which has it's conduction band electrons removed do to high temperatures. Plasma itself isn't exothermic like a flame and will not oxidize with oxygen."
Then he showed me this link: http://chemistry.about.com/mbiopage.htm
Written by: Anne Helmenstine, Ph.D.
This seems very wrong to me. If by some chance a flame is hot enough that its outer electrons are removed, then how can it react with oxygen and therefore produce more heat? Don't most reactions have a limiting maximum temperature at which they can occur? For a simple example, burning H2 in an O2 atmosphere.
2H2 + O2 -> 2H2O @ ~560C
but...
2H2O -> 2H2 + O2 @ +2000 °C
What gives?
Then he showed me this link: http://chemistry.about.com/mbiopage.htm
Written by: Anne Helmenstine, Ph.D.
If the flame is hot enough, the gases are ionized and become yet another state of matter: plasma.
This seems very wrong to me. If by some chance a flame is hot enough that its outer electrons are removed, then how can it react with oxygen and therefore produce more heat? Don't most reactions have a limiting maximum temperature at which they can occur? For a simple example, burning H2 in an O2 atmosphere.
2H2 + O2 -> 2H2O @ ~560C
but...
2H2O -> 2H2 + O2 @ +2000 °C
What gives?
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