Fire Triangle Research Paper

To begin with, a basic part of human civilization and life is the element of fire, though a fire is not all that basic. A fire is not a simple element, but it is a complex part of chemistry that requires multiple elements. First of all, a fire starts due to a hot temperature igniting the combustible material. Most of the common material found lying around can burn but only if there is a high temperature to ignite the material; the minimum required temperature to burn an object is known as the ignition temperature( The Chemistry of, n.d). Flash point is another term that describes the minimum temperature of a fuel to which it must be heated to for its vapour to ignite in the air with a free flame( The Chemistry of, n.d.). It is not just heating …show more content…
There are several elements required to make a sustainable fire using the fire triangle. The elements that are needed to make up this fire triangle are the following; heat or an ignition, fuel and oxygen( Occupational Safety Handbook, n.d.). One of the required elements is the fuel source for the fire. As stated previously, the fuel source of a fire can be any combustible or flammable material. Such common combustible materials are; wood, dry vegetation, cloth or fabric, and trash( Occupational Safety Handbook, n.d.). Though it is not just dry material that can be used as fuel, there are other fuels such as flammable gases or liquids. Some flammable gases are propane and other natural gases( Occupational Safety Handbook, n.d. ). Also some examples of flammable liquids are; gasoline, oil and other solvents( Occupational Safety Handbook, n.d.). These fuels are what make up one of the three sides on the fire triangle. Another element in the fire triangle would be heat. Heat is a huge part of fire because not only does it produce heat but heat is what ignites the combustible fuels. A fuel must be heated to a certain degree in order to catch on fire, this temperature is know as the fuels ignition temperature(The Chemistry of, n.d. ). Also it is good to know that the higher the temperature the faster the ignition( The Chemistry of, …show more content…
The chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar are a basic reaction that can be seen in elementary school classes and even up to college courses( Apple Cider Vinegar, n.d. ). The scientific name of baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, the molecular makeup is NaHCO3. When put into water the molecules dissolve and split into Na+ and HCO3-( Apple Cider Vinegar, n.d. ). Vinegar is a weak acetic when in water it dissociates itself into hydrogen and acetate ions. When Sodium Bicarbonate mixed with vinegar in a solution hydrogen ions from the vinegar react with the baking soda’s ions (HCO3-) from the baking soda to form a new chemical called carbonic acid H2CO3( Apple Cider Vinegar, n.d. ). The main reason why these two chemicals are reactive towards each other is because when they meet they exchange atoms. Specifically they trade protons which then make atoms( National Science Foundation, n.d. ). When these two chemical are mixed they immediately react with each other. During and after the reaction carbon dioxide gas is produced. The bubbling and fizzing created by the chemical reaction is the carbon dioxide( Apple Cider Vinegar, n.d. ). This makes it a perfect extinguisher for putting out fire because the carbon dioxide can be used to suffocate the fire. Since carbon dioxide is more dense than the air surrounding the