How does a fire extinguisher work?
How Does a Fire Extinguisher Work?
How do you extinguish / put a fire out? Fire needs 3 things to make it burn. Fuel, (something that can burn like wood or coal), oxygen (air), and heat. If any one of these things is removed, you can put out the fire. Fire-fighting methods involve removing heat, oxygen, or fuel—sometimes more than one of those things at the same time. Now let us try an experiment making CO2 gas that shows us how we can make a fire extinguisher.
Materials in the box
1. Plastic bottle
2. Tea light candle
3. Vinegar
4. Baking Soda
SAFETY: Follow Safety Tips and do this experiment with an adult only!
Materials from home
1. Tablespoon
2. Funnel (optional)
How do I begin?
1. Place the tea light candle on the plate and have your Mom / Dad light it for you.
2. Pour five tablespoons of vinegar into the bottle.
3. Take the sheet of paper and use it as a funnel to pour half a tablespoon of baking soda into the bottle. The mixture will start fizzing.
4. Hold the bottle sideways about an inch away from the candle, ensuring that no liquid spills out. What happens to the flame?
What just happened?
The vinegar and baking soda react to make carbon dioxide gas. As carbon dioxide is heavier than air, the oxygen is pushed away from the candle. As there is no oxygen to feed the fire, the flame is extinguished.
A fire extinguisher is like a huge aerosol can, often with two different substances inside. One of them is a solid, liquid, or gas substance that fights the fire. The other is called a propellant and is a pressurized chemical that makes the fire-fighting substance come out as soon as you press the extinguisher handle. Take a good look at a fire extinguisher next time. Did you know that fire extinguishers are always really strong steel canisters? This is because the propellant stored inside is highly pressurized. To stop the extinguishers from exploding, strong canisters are needed.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) extinguishers are mixture of liquid and gaseous carbon dioxide (a non-flammable gas). Normally, CO2 is a gas at room temperature and pressure. To make it a liquid, it has to be stored under high pressure. When you release this pressure, CO2 expands and cools to make a huge white jet. CO2 attacks the fire in two ways: it suffocates the oxygen and, because it's so cold, it also removes heat.
How do you extinguish / put a fire out? Fire needs 3 things to make it burn. Fuel, (something that can burn like wood or coal), oxygen (air), and heat. If any one of these things is removed, you can put out the fire. Fire-fighting methods involve removing heat, oxygen, or fuel—sometimes more than one of those things at the same time. Now let us try an experiment making CO2 gas that shows us how we can make a fire extinguisher.
Materials in the box
1. Plastic bottle
2. Tea light candle
3. Vinegar
4. Baking Soda
SAFETY: Follow Safety Tips and do this experiment with an adult only!
Materials from home
1. Tablespoon
2. Funnel (optional)
How do I begin?
1. Place the tea light candle on the plate and have your Mom / Dad light it for you.
2. Pour five tablespoons of vinegar into the bottle.
3. Take the sheet of paper and use it as a funnel to pour half a tablespoon of baking soda into the bottle. The mixture will start fizzing.
4. Hold the bottle sideways about an inch away from the candle, ensuring that no liquid spills out. What happens to the flame?
What just happened?
The vinegar and baking soda react to make carbon dioxide gas. As carbon dioxide is heavier than air, the oxygen is pushed away from the candle. As there is no oxygen to feed the fire, the flame is extinguished.
A fire extinguisher is like a huge aerosol can, often with two different substances inside. One of them is a solid, liquid, or gas substance that fights the fire. The other is called a propellant and is a pressurized chemical that makes the fire-fighting substance come out as soon as you press the extinguisher handle. Take a good look at a fire extinguisher next time. Did you know that fire extinguishers are always really strong steel canisters? This is because the propellant stored inside is highly pressurized. To stop the extinguishers from exploding, strong canisters are needed.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) extinguishers are mixture of liquid and gaseous carbon dioxide (a non-flammable gas). Normally, CO2 is a gas at room temperature and pressure. To make it a liquid, it has to be stored under high pressure. When you release this pressure, CO2 expands and cools to make a huge white jet. CO2 attacks the fire in two ways: it suffocates the oxygen and, because it's so cold, it also removes heat.