Ch.

Combustion and Flame

1. Combustion: A chemical process in which a substance reacts with

oxygen to give off heat is called combustion.
2. Combustible Substances: The substances which burn in the air are called
combustible.
3. Ignition temperature is the lowest temperature at which a combustible
substance catches fire.
4. Rapid Combustion: A combustion, that takes place rapidly/high speed,
with the production of heat and light is called rapid combustion.
5. Spontaneous Combustion: A combustion in which a material suddenly
bursts into flames, without the application of any apparent cause is
called spontaneous combustion.
6. Explosion: The process of combustion in which a large number of gases
are evolved with the production of a tremendous amount of heat, light
and sound is called an explosion.
7. Ideal Fuel: The fuel, which fulfils all the requirements for a particular use
is called an ideal fuel.
8. Calorific Value: The amount of heat energy produced on complete
combustion of 1 kg of a fuel is called its calorific value. It is expressed in
a unit called kilojoule per kg (kJ/kg).
9. Explosion: The process of combustion in which a large number of gases
are evolved with the production of a tremendous amount of heat, light
and sound, is called an explosion.
10.Fire Extinguisher: Fire extinguisher is used to control the fire. The job of
a fire extinguisher is to cut off the supply of air or to bring down the
temperature of the fuel, or both.
11.Fuels: A fuel is a substance, which may be burnt to produce considerable
heat without the formation of undesirable products.
12.Fuel Efficiency: Fuel efficiency is expressed in terms of its calorific value
which is the amount of heat energy produced on complete combustion
of 1 kg of fuel.
13.Global Warming: It is the rise in temperature of the atmosphere of the
earth due to the combustion of fuels.
 14.Ideal Fuel: The fuel, which fulfils all the requirement for a particular use
is called an ideal fuel.
15.Ignition Temperature: The lowest temperature at which a substance
catches fire is called its ignition temperature.
16.Inflammable Substance: The substances, which have very low ignition
temperature and can easily catch fire with a flame are called
Inflammable substances.

Combustion and Flame NCERT Textbook Questions

Question 1.
List conditions under which combustion can take place.
Answer:
Combustion can take place in the presence of:
(a) a combustible substance.
(b) oxygen, that is, the supporter of combustion.
(c) attainment of ignition temperature of the substance.

Question 2.
Fill in the blanks.
(a) Burning of wood and coal causes _____ of air.
(b) A liquid fuel, used in homes is ______
(c) Fuel must be heated to its ______ before it starts burning.
(d) Fire produced by oil cannot be controlled by ______
Answer:
(a) pollution
(b) LPG
(c) ignition temperature
(d) water

Question 3.
Explain how the use of CNG in automobiles has reduced pollution in our cities.
Answer:
The use of CNG in automobiles has reduced pollution in our cities as it is a
quality fuel and has some benefits:
(a) It gives out less carbon dioxide gas, carbon monoxide gas, sulphur dioxide
and nitrogen dioxide, which is beneficial as they play crucial role in global
warming and acid rain.
(b) It leaves behind no residue after its combustion.
 LPG Wood

(i) It does not cause pollution on combustion. (i) It pollutes air on its combustion.

(ii) No smoke is produced. (ii) It produces smoke.

Question 4
Compare LPG and wood as fuels.
Answer:
(iii) It is a liquid fuel. (iii) It is a solid fuel.

(iv) It has more calorific value (55000 kJ/kg). (iv) It has less calorific value (17000 kJ/kg).

(v) It can be easily transported, as it is stored in

(v) It can’t be transported easily like LPG fuels.
cylinders.

Question 5.
Give reasons.
(a) Water is not used to control fires involving electrical equipment.
(b) LPG is a better domestic fuel than wood.
(c) Paper by itself catches fire easily whereas a piece of paper wrapped
around an aluminium pipe does not.
Answer:
(a) Since water is a good conductor of electricity, it may result in electric
shocks to the person trying to extinguish fire.
(b) LPG is better domestic fuel than wood because it does not produce
gases, nor does it leave any residue behind. Moreover, it has more calorific
value than wood.
(c) As its ignition temperature is low, the paper by itself catches fire easily.
But a piece of paper wrapped around an aluminium pipe does not catch fire
easily, as the heat being given gets absorbed by the aluminium pipe and the
piece of paper does not get its ignition temperature.

Question 6.
Make a labelled diagram of a candle flame.
 Answer:

Question 7.
Name the unit in which the calorific value of a fuel is expressed.
Answer:
The unit in which the calorific value of a fuel is expressed is kilojoules per
kilogram (kJ/kg).

Question 8.
Explain how CO2 is able to control fires.
Answer:
As CO2 is heavier than oxygen, it forms a blanket around fire, because of which
the supply of air is stopped. Men over, it brings down the temperature of the
burning substance. In these ways, it plays a significant role in controlling fire.

Question 9.
It is difficult to burn a heap of green leaves but dry leaves catch fire easily.
Explain.
Answer:
The green leaves hold some amount of water, so its ignition temperature
gets increased and it does not burn easily. On the other hand, dry leaves are
waterless, so they catch fire easily (having low ignition temperature).

A goldsmith uses the outermost zone of a flame, which is non-luminous, to

Question 10.
Which zone of a flame does a goldsmith use for melting gold and silver and
why?
Answer:
melt gold and silver as it is the hottest zone of the flame, having more
temperature.

Question 11.
In an experiment, 4.5 kg of a fuel was completely burnt. The heat produced
was measured to be 180,000 kJ. Calculate the calorific value of the fuel.
Answer:
Calorific value of a fuel = HeatProducedAmountoffuel
= 1800004.5 kJ/kg
= 40,000 kJ/kg.
Question 12.
Can the process of rusting be called combustion? Discuss.
Answer:
The process of rusting emits heat during the formation of its oxide. So we
can call the process of rusting as slow combustion.

Question 13.
Abida and Ramesh were doing an experiment in which water was to be
heated in a beaker. Abida kept the beaker near the wick in the yellow part
of the candle flame. Ramesh kept the beaker in the outermost part of the
flame. Whose water will get heated in a shorter time?
Answer:
The water which was put by Ramesh will get heated in a shorter time;
because he had put it nearer to the hottest zone of the flame.