Combustion | Definition, Reaction, Analysis, Facts | Britannica Combustion, a chemical reaction between substances, usually including oxygen and usually accompanied by the generation of heat and light in the form of flame Combustion is one of the most important of chemical reactions and may be considered a culminating step in the oxidation of certain kinds of substances
Spontaneous combustion | Ignition, Heat, Oxygen | Britannica Spontaneous combustion, the outbreak of fire without application of heat from an external source Spontaneous combustion may occur when combustible matter, such as hay or coal, is stored in bulk It begins with a slow oxidation process (as bacterial fermentation or atmospheric oxidation) under
Combustion - Chemical Reactions, Heat, Oxidation | Britannica Combustion - Chemical Reactions, Heat, Oxidation: All flames can be classified either as premixed flames or as flames that burn without premixing Flame combustion is most prominent with fuels that have been premixed with an oxidant, either oxygen or a compound that provides oxygen, for the reaction The temperature of flames with this mixture is often several thousand degrees The chemical
Combustion - Explosions, Chemical Reactions, Heat | Britannica Combustion - Explosions, Chemical Reactions, Heat: The transition from combustion to explosion is caused by an acceleration of the reaction, induced either by a rise in temperature or by increasing lengths of the reaction chain The first is called thermal explosion, and the second is called chain explosion Thermal explosion theory is based on the idea that progressive heating raises the rate
Is Spontaneous Human Combustion Real? | Britannica The likely explanation for suspected cases of spontaneous human combustion, then, is that there is an external source of ignition—a match, a cigarette, an electrical spark—that sets off the wick effect, but the evidence of it is destroyed by the fire
Combustion - Chemical Reactions, Heat, Oxidation | Britannica Combustion - Chemical Reactions, Heat, Oxidation: Combustion, with rare exceptions, is a complex chemical process involving many steps that depend on the properties of the combustible substance It is initiated by external factors such as heat, light, and sparks The reaction sets in as the mixture of combustibles attains the ignition temperature The combustion spreads from the ignition
combustion - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help 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
Fossil fuel | Meaning, Types, Uses | Britannica Fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material of biological origin that can be burned for energy Fossil fuels, which include coal, petroleum, and natural gas, supply the majority of all energy consumed in industrially developed countries Learn about the types of fossil fuels, their formation, and uses
Combustion - Chemical Reactions, Heat, Oxidation | Britannica Combustion - Chemical Reactions, Heat, Oxidation: Combustion, fire, and flame have been observed and speculated about from earliest times Every civilization has had its own explanation for them The Greeks interpreted combustion in terms of philosophical doctrines, one of which was that a certain “inflammable principle” was contained in all combustible bodies and this principle escaped