Question

Explain how $C{{O}_{2}}$ is able to control fire.

Answer 1

Hint: Carbon dioxide is a non-flammable gas. Carbon dioxide displaces the normal oxygen in breathing air and thus causes suffocation. This makes carbon dioxide an asphyxiant. This property of carbon dioxide is used in fire extinguishers.

Complete step by step answer:
We know that $C{{O}_{2}}$ is carbon dioxide, which is a colourless gas and its density is almost 60% higher than that of dry air. Carbon dioxide is a non-flammable gas. This property of carbon dioxide is of great use to us. Let’s understand how it helps in controlling fire.
We use fire extinguishers in case of fire breakouts and carbon dioxide extinguishers are a common class of extinguishers that we can use in various categories of fire.
In these extinguishers, carbon dioxide is stored at a very high pressure and due to this it is in its liquid form. When we release the liquid on the burning material, it neutralises the air around it and thus the oxygen on which the fire is feeding is neutralised. It also stops the fire from re-igniting due to lack of oxygen and the freezing temperature.
 The liquid that comes out is freezing cold and we also know it by the name dry ice. The liquid is very cold and thus cools the fuel and thus stopping it from further ignition.
We can use carbon dioxide extinguishers in case of electrical fire and is ideal for laboratories and places with flammable liquids.
Therefore, the answer is as we can understand from the above discussion that the carbon dioxide extinguishers work by displacing the oxygen.

Note: Carbon dioxide extinguishers are not suitable for fires which include combustible materials like wood, paper, cloth or plastic. As we know inside the extinguisher the gas is stored at a very high pressure thus this high-pressure can scatter the burning material. It is also not suitable for fires that contain their own oxygen source or metals and cooking media. It is successful in cases where a person's body is on fire but we generally avoid it as it causes frostbite and suffocation.