# Farenheit 451 without oxygen

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farenheit-451-without-oxygen/30162>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 21, 2000, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farenheit-451-without-oxygen/30162 "2000-08-21T14:57:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farenheit-451-without-oxygen/30162/1 "2000-08-21T14:57:16Z")

</div>

Thought experiment:  
I take a piece of paper and place it into an argon-filled chamber (all oxygen has been evacuated). I aim infrared lasers at the paper and let them go until the paper is heated to 451 degrees farenheit. What happens to the paper? (BTW, if argon absorbs infrared light or something, please substitute another inert gas, or place the paper in a vacuum.)

Sua

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farenheit-451-without-oxygen/30162/2 "2000-08-21T15:02:50Z")

</div>

It would probably turn red and turn into dust, but not catch fire. Since you need oxygen to have flame.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farenheit-451-without-oxygen/30162/3 "2000-08-21T15:50:59Z")

</div>

Many combustible materials have oxygen bound up in them, at least enough to flare brefly and turn to cinders or ash.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farenheit-451-without-oxygen/30162/4 "2000-08-21T16:31:14Z")

</div>

SuaSponte, didn’t you ask this same question a few weeks ago? [“Burning” in a vacuum](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=33409)

I believe that the concensus when it came up then was that you’d get charcoal and some gasses given off.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![douglips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@douglips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/douglips)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farenheit-451-without-oxygen/30162/5 "2000-08-21T16:35:59Z")

</div>

Someone’s forgetting to take his memory pills.

🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farenheit-451-without-oxygen/30162/6 "2000-08-21T17:22:49Z")

</div>

I completely spaced. :o My only excuse (and it’s a poor one) is that I posted the earlier thread on a Friday afternoon, went home for the weekend, and completely forgot about it.

**Manny** , please close this thread.

Sua