As you are reading below be sure to be thinking about Why Combustion is a Chemical Reaction? What Chemicals are involved in Combustion? How does combustion work? Is matter created or destroyed when combustion occurs? Why or why not?
Combustion Reaction
Combustion is a chemical reaction that produces heat and light. The most common form of combustion is fire. Most forms of combustion happen when the gas oxygen joins with another substance. For example, when wood burns, oxygen in the air joins with carbon in wood.
Many common substances can undergo combustion—for example, paper, cloth, and natural gas. Combustion begins when the substance reaches a temperature called its ignition point.
A car engine and a rocket engine both work by combustion. Combustion in a car motor is different to combustion in a rocket engine. Car combustion is gas catching on fire and exploding in cylinders again and again to push them up and down, making the car move. Rocket combustion is made by rocket fuel exploding out of the back of the rocket moving it up. The burning of most substances is bad for the environment and the ozone layer because it can let off greenhouse gases such as Carbon dioxide. Hydrogen burns cleanly and gives off a lot of heat, but it does not produce much power, and is hard to find.
Combustion is a chemical reaction that produces heat and light. The most common form of combustion is fire. Most forms of combustion happen when the gas oxygen joins with another substance. For example, when wood burns, oxygen in the air joins with carbon in wood.
Many common substances can undergo combustion—for example, paper, cloth, and natural gas. Combustion begins when the substance reaches a temperature called its ignition point.
A car engine and a rocket engine both work by combustion. Combustion in a car motor is different to combustion in a rocket engine. Car combustion is gas catching on fire and exploding in cylinders again and again to push them up and down, making the car move. Rocket combustion is made by rocket fuel exploding out of the back of the rocket moving it up. The burning of most substances is bad for the environment and the ozone layer because it can let off greenhouse gases such as Carbon dioxide. Hydrogen burns cleanly and gives off a lot of heat, but it does not produce much power, and is hard to find.