What conditions are necessary for combustion?

Answer 1

There are some conditions associated with the process of combustion.

The substance to be burnt must be combustible (the substance must catch fire easily). Wood, paper, coal, coke, hydrogen, liquified petroleum gas, natural gas, petrol, kerosene, diesel, alcohol, ether etc. are some of the combustible substances.

The presence of a supporter of combustion is another condition for combustion to take place. They are nothing but the substances which help combustion of a combustible substance. Oxygen and air are the supporter of combustion. Air contains 21% of oxygen (a supporter of combustion) by volume and 78% of nitrogen by volume which is neither combustible nor a supporter of combustion. That is why combustible substances burn at moderate rate in air but burn at a very fast rate in oxygen.

Another condition for combustion to take place is that the combustible substance should be heated so that its temperature reaches its ignition temperature. No substance can burn below its ignition temperature. The substances having low ignition temperature are called inflammable substances. The vapors of these substances in air can catch fire with a minor spark and hence can cause serious accident. Alcohol, ether, carbon disulphide, benzene synthetic fibres are some of the substances having low ignition temperature. If the ignition temperature is below the room temperature the substance can catch fire even without an external source of heat energy.

Answer 2

To initiate combustion, you must have a combustible material, oxygen (a chemical supporter of combustion), and enough energy to reach the initiation temperature of the combustible material. Then these three requirements must be maintained for combustion to be sustained.

Answer 3

Fuel, oxygen and heat.

Answer 4

You need a spark (heat) fuel and oxygen