Jay-qu Posted April 12, 2005 Report Share Posted April 12, 2005 when you light a flame or fire on Earth, the flame extends upward (relative to surface) though wind and other factors affect it also. So what would a flame look like if you had one under zero-G conditions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tormod Posted April 12, 2005 Report Share Posted April 12, 2005 Good question. NASA has an interesting story about this: Not Just Another Old Flamehttp://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast12may_1.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qfwfq Posted April 12, 2005 Report Share Posted April 12, 2005 It depends very much on how you produce it. If you use a system such as the oxy-acetylene welder, in which both gasses are coming out of the nozzle, it depends less on up or down so, in zero-g, it would just go the way you point it. If you tried to burn wood without supplying a current of air, it would be hard to have a steady fire and things would be quite unpredictable. Chances are it wouldn't stay alight for lack of oxygen but any motion of air would change this. I don't think I would be relaxed in trying it inside an orbiting space station. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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