Fire and gravity

Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
1

Interesting experiment, demonstrating the effect of gravity on a flame:

  1. Set candle in closable glass jar.
  2. Light candle.
  3. Close jar.
  4. Drop jar from 10 feet or so above floor level.
  5. Station football player–preferably tight end with good hands–near floor to catch jar.

What you will see is that the flame will go out almost immediately after it starts to drop. Why? Because in free fall, the effect of gravity is temporarily suspended; the far and candle are effectively weightless. As a result, the carbon monoxide and dioxode produced by combustion, which–being hot gases–normally rise up and away from the flame, instead cluster in a sphere around the flame, blocking the influx of fresh air (and oxygen). The flame is snuffed out by the lack of oxygen.

2

How long does the flame last after you close the jar if you don’t drop it?

3

Why is it that when I toss flaming jars at football players they get upset, but when you do it, it’s “science”?

4

I prefer to toss flaming jars at chess players. They don’t, as a rule, tackle nearly as well.

5

If you lit a match in zero gravity, would it smother in its own smoke?

I believe this is the article in question.

I think it would be more accurate to say candles don’t burn very well in zero gravity, but they do burn.

Can a Candle Burn in Zero Gravity?