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John builds the perfect campfire. Starting with a ball of newspaper, he then carefully places sticks of Cedar, and progressively adds larger and larger splits of pine. One match and Whaa Laa!!
Now, I just pile some splits, squirt them with charcoal lighter, and seem to get the same Whaa Laa! But I never got to have a fire of my own on this camp out. I was just beginning to get one going in my site, but John, apparently smelled the lighter fluid I was about to open, rushed over and built my fire his way. Oh well, it's all good.
Then, we were all circled around John's fire one night when Doug said, "You know, without friction, a fire can not burn." I had never heard that, and it made no sense to me, so I asked him to explain more. But he just told me to figure it out myself, and insisted he was right. And maybe he is.
Well, thinking back to my science days, I remembered that to have fire, you needed a fuel source, heat, and oxygen. I couldn't remember friction being a part of that. Now, I know that friction can cause a fire because it creates heat. Like on Survivor, they rub sticks together and the friction creates heat, or they strike steel against flint which makes friction which makes heat. But I don't think that friction is required to make or sustain a fire. One could use a magnifying glass to focus the sun's rays to make heat and start a fire. Or sometimes spontaneous combustion of oily rags start a fire. So where is the friction there?
I'm sure there is a Follower out there that has some chemistry background that can clarify this issue. What say you?
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Sunday, July 12, 2009
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it is a molecular dance that must take place to create the heat that causes the fire. molecules of oil begin dancing ~ rag fires. little dancing molecules of gasoline dancing ~ gas fires. little dancing molecules of hormones ~ sex fires.
ReplyDeletenote they all must dance to create the heat.
it is why birthrates are known to rise approximitely nine months after the nights primitives dance before celebratory fires.
for once, you are correct. no friction is needed. for a fire, you must have a fuel source, heat and oxygen.
ReplyDeletecheck it out:
http://www.campfiredude.com/campfire-physics.shtml
-ap
You can't have heat without friction, you cant have light without friction, friction causes heat which causes light, go back to Brownies Basic and check it out....some call it the Big Bang Theory !
ReplyDeleteokay, hogslopper, first of all, you most certainly can have heat without friction...go turn on the heater.
ReplyDeletesecond, consider this. you rub your hands together, that makes friction and subsequently heat. but that certainly doesn't cause light like you just said. if you turn on the heater, that heat also doesn't cause light.
finally, this has nothing to do with big bang theory.
what the hell are you talking about?!
so glad i didn't have the family name. dimeglio's are wierd...
-ap
You never had the family name and never will, your just a little clingon, sorry dear but after all it's a MAN'S world.....you probably don't even know what a hogslopper is and don't worry you'll never have that name either, anonymous is the only name you will ever have...
ReplyDelete