What determines whether something melts or chars/ignites when heated?
In: 5
Typically it’s a comparison between its melting (or boiling) point and the temperature at which am oxidation reaction becomes self sustaining. These reactions produce net energy, often, but also require a threshold to initiate, referred to as the “activation energy”. In order for a reaction to be self sustaining, the energy released must bring at least one other molecule of the substance over the activation energy threshold. If the nearby air is too cold, for instance, too little of the emitted energy will be absorbed by the adjacent reactants to ignite them, and so the reaction fizzles out.
Latest Answers