Deadliest gas on the world?

**Robby** · 10-10-2012, 06:20 PM

And if that "who knows what" is in the air along with the higher concentrations of the oxygen...

(10-10-2012, 06:18 PM)rndmnwierd Wrote: ...No fart jokes? You guys are awesome!

This is serious business. Farting flames is not part of it.

**Bridge** · 10-10-2012, 06:30 PM

(10-10-2012, 06:20 PM)Nemet Robert Wrote: And if that "who knows what" is in the air along with the higher concentrations of the oxygen...

Look, fires don't just "happen". It always requires something to work off of. Oxygen is just an oxidant that allows fire to expand. Without an ignition source not even 100% oxygen concentration at 10000 degrees would burn.

EDIT: I seriously doubt your physics teacher knows what he's talking about if he says otherwise. It's common sense.

**Robby** · 10-10-2012, 06:31 PM

(10-10-2012, 06:30 PM)Bridge Wrote: Look, fires don't just "happen". It always requires something to work off of. Oxygen is just an oxidant that allows fire to expand. Without an ignition source not even 100% oxygen concentration at 10000 degrees would burn.

Well, there's always an explanation. But sometimes, there just isn't. Even if you disagree or don't believe.

**Kreekakon** · 10-10-2012, 06:32 PM

(10-10-2012, 06:31 PM)Nemet Robert Wrote: Well, there's always an explanation. But sometimes, there just isn't. Even if you disagree or don't believe.

Laws of science/physics...

Fire isn't supernatural you know.

**Robby** · 10-10-2012, 06:37 PM

(10-10-2012, 06:32 PM)Kreekakon Wrote: Fire isn't supernatural you know.

I didn't say that.

**Kreekakon** · 10-10-2012, 06:39 PM

(10-10-2012, 06:37 PM)Nemet Robert Wrote: I didn't say that.

You were implying that there wasn't an explanation for the type of combustion you were saying. Since we're dealing with fire, I'd say there's more than an explanation for such things. Either it burns, or it doesn't. The scenario you bring up which involves spontaneous combustion just can't happen without the proper heat.

**Robby** · 10-10-2012, 06:58 PM

What I was saying is that certain things don't have an explanation sometimes.

I maybe didn't clarify that well enough in my post, though.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx** · 10-10-2012, 08:19 PM

Hospitals often make patients breathe pure oxygen as a medical treatment if there's an emergency that requires it. It doesn't kill them. (High concentrations of it are toxic when breathed under pressure though, which is why deep sea diving requires the use of special gas mixtures)

Also oxygen itself is not flammable, no matter what the media say. "Burning" is the reaction of something with oxygen. (For example carbon reacts with oxygen and creates carbondioxide in the process) Since oxygen can't react with itself, it is not flammable. Of course a high concentration of oxygen makes starting a fire more easy.
(source: my chemistry teacher)

In case of the smoker who burned to death, I'd say that the high concentration of oxygen he was breathing created a sudden darting flame from his cigarette which he then inhaled. But what was actually burning wasn't the oxygen itself but the tobacco and paper from the cigarette.

**Obliviator27** · 10-10-2012, 09:43 PM

(10-10-2012, 08:19 PM)Hirnwirbel Wrote: Hospitals often make patients breathe pure oxygen as a medical treatment if there's an emergency that requires it. It doesn't kill them. (High concentrations of it are toxic when breathed under pressure though, which is why deep sea diving requires the use of special gas mixtures)

Also oxygen itself is not flammable, no matter what the media say. "Burning" is the reaction of something with oxygen. (For example carbon reacts with oxygen and creates carbondioxide in the process) Since oxygen can't react with itself, it is not flammable. Of course a high concentration of oxygen makes starting a fire more easy.
(source: my chemistry teacher)

In case of the smoker who burned to death, I'd say that the high concentration of oxygen he was breathing created a sudden darting flame from his cigarette which he then inhaled. But what was actually burning wasn't the oxygen itself but the tobacco and paper from the cigarette.

Going to have to agree with this.
It's far more dangerous to try to ignite hydrogen than it is to ignite oxygen. You'd need an absurd amount of oxygen concentrated in your lungs to become ignited from the inside. Having a high concentration of hydrogen in your lungs would probably cause your chest cavity to burst.
All speculation, though, as I have no concrete proof that you'll explode.

**Froge** · 10-10-2012, 11:58 PM

(10-10-2012, 06:58 PM)Nemet Robert Wrote: What I was saying is that certain things don't have an explanation sometimes.

That's....very disagreeable. Scientists exist for a reason, you know.