Been thinking about different atmosphere’s for sci-fi planets and the like, and I know that (allegedly) if there was 5% more oxygen on earth, then bugs and insects would grow to be much, much larger. Apparently the higher oxygen concentration in the early years of our planet is why there was so much megafauna (smth about cyanobacteria?), but how would that affect the way things burn? Since oxygen is incredibly flammable, I would assume that more oxygen = bigger flame, but usually that’s pure oxygen.
tl;dr
How does oxygen concentration affect the way things burn?
In: Chemistry
Along with everything else mentioned, when there is an open flame, that flame is composed of all of the gas in the atmosphere plus the fuel. If 80% of the atmosphere is inert nitrogen, then 80% of the gas in the flame is contributing no heat and has to be heated up by the flame which cools it.
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