Question

What is meant by rapid combustion? Give an example.

Answer 1

Hint: As the name suggests, rapid combustion refers to the process of combustion occurring in a short amount of time. Any combustion process that occurs almost instantly and gives out heat and light when supplied with fuel called rapid combustion.

Complete step by step answer:
- Rapid combustion is the type of combustion that takes place almost instantaneously. However, it needs some external source of energy to occur. The source of energy is generally called the ‘fuel’.
Examples of Rapid combustion –
- Lighting a candle – When heat is provided to a candle it burns and continues till the wax burns completely.
- Burning of kerosene oil in a kerosene stove; it gives heat and light.
- Immediate burning of cooking gas, it gives heat and light.
- The way we distinguish rapid combustion from other types of combustion is that – it lasts as long as the fuel does.

Additional Information: There are two types of combustion based on the end-products, i.e. complete and incomplete combustion. Complete combustion takes place in unlimited supply of oxygen and therefore, burns completely. Whereas, incomplete combustion takes place in limited supply of air. Hence, it produces carbon monoxide instead.

Note: The other type of combustion includes –
> Spontaneous Combustion
- It occurs very spontaneously, without the help of any external agents
For example: reaction of alkali metals with water
> Explosive Combustion
- It occurs even faster and produces heat, light and sound almost instantaneously.
For example: firecrackers, dynamite