Why do cigarette paper burn differently when packed with tobacco versus when empty

Question

Why do cigarette paper burn differently when packed with tobacco versus when empty

In: 1

Answer 1

fuel to air ratio

When cigarette paper is wrapping the tobacco, there’s a much denser fuel source which slows the burn (fuel to air ratio). The same basic thing would happen with “regular” paper. When laid flat and burned, it burns rather rapidly. If you wad it up or wrap it tightly around something also flammable, and light it, it burns much more slowly because less of the fuel (paper) is exposed to the air.

Another example of this is starting a camp fire. Shavings, twigs, and the like burn faster because they are smaller and have more fuel exposed to the air. A log on the same fire burns much more slowly because less of the fuel (wood) is exposed to the air