Dude. The grease fire even made the Mythbusters go “whoa” – the oil is so hot that the water flashes to steam, so essentially you have a steam explosion spattering burning roasting hot oil everywhere. Fun, but only from a distance, and with popcorn.
Close – much of the water does boil very quickly upon being exposed to that much heat (this is what Gene said when he referred to “water flashing to steam,”) but it doesn’t actually turn the water back into hydrogen and oxygen. Water turning to steam is still water, but it’s become a gas. Heat strong enough to decompose (the chemistry term) water into hydrogen and oxygen can happen, but in much hotter circumstances.
There’s not enough dissolved oxygen to make much difference in a fire. The steam would displace more oxygen than it would release, making the fire go out. (It usually doesn’t make enough steam to do this.) What spreads the fire is either splashing or atomizing it and giving a wider area to burn. Plus, it floats, and water is less viscous, so the water will carry it further than if the oil were just spilling and spreading on its own.
What’s worse is when it splashes onto a porous surface, which acts as a wick. Then the fire REALLY gets going.
Lord Flame Stryke: they don’t explode in the TECHNICAL definition of “explode”, but they can do something similar: some of the water can flash-boil, throwing flaming grease all over the place. It’s not REALLY “exploding”, but I wouldn’t personally be that pedantic until the fire was out.
THEN I’d be that pedantic, of course. But in the moment, I’d probably be inaccurate.
funniest thing i’ve seen this week, brilliant
Thanks!
Grease fires don’t explode upon contact with water, they just spread.
Dude. The grease fire even made the Mythbusters go “whoa” – the oil is so hot that the water flashes to steam, so essentially you have a steam explosion spattering burning roasting hot oil everywhere. Fun, but only from a distance, and with popcorn.
Not only that but the heat also flash boils much of the water creating crap load of oxygen at once, feeding the fire more.
Close – much of the water does boil very quickly upon being exposed to that much heat (this is what Gene said when he referred to “water flashing to steam,”) but it doesn’t actually turn the water back into hydrogen and oxygen. Water turning to steam is still water, but it’s become a gas. Heat strong enough to decompose (the chemistry term) water into hydrogen and oxygen can happen, but in much hotter circumstances.
Perhaps Odo meant the oxygen dissolved in the water?
There’s not enough dissolved oxygen to make much difference in a fire. The steam would displace more oxygen than it would release, making the fire go out. (It usually doesn’t make enough steam to do this.) What spreads the fire is either splashing or atomizing it and giving a wider area to burn. Plus, it floats, and water is less viscous, so the water will carry it further than if the oil were just spilling and spreading on its own.
What’s worse is when it splashes onto a porous surface, which acts as a wick. Then the fire REALLY gets going.
Also, artistic license. I mean, jeez, what are you, https://xkcd.com/386/?
(With me, it’s the heartless ‘F’ that drew my ire. Ok, I’ll shut up.)
Lord Flame Stryke: they don’t explode in the TECHNICAL definition of “explode”, but they can do something similar: some of the water can flash-boil, throwing flaming grease all over the place. It’s not REALLY “exploding”, but I wouldn’t personally be that pedantic until the fire was out.
THEN I’d be that pedantic, of course. But in the moment, I’d probably be inaccurate.
Try putting water on a magnesium fire. (Or any other light metal, for that matter.) It just makes the fire hotter.
Sadly, my glasses haven’t fooled anybody either… but I’m still hot! HA!
*Like
But nerdy glasses on a hot guy, or even a hot girl, makes them cute, cause it’s ironic.
At my last MENSA meeting, we had a couple Greece fires, but that’s another thing entirely…
Shouldn’t the hat burn up and the glasses melt on that thing?
Damnit Grease Fire, not again.
Man, Craig, you put up with a LOT in this comic. Good work, man.
I did not know fire saying “derp” could make me laugh. I know better now.
Technically, the burning grease turns water INTO an explosive agent. So grease fires are more gigantic dickwads than derpwads.
More of an “eruptive” agent. A true explosion propagates faster than the speed of sound.
Someone show this man what happens when sodium hits water. Fun way to spend an afternoon.
Where’s fast food employee bug’s antenna?
Oops, Antennae. Or is it a human?
That’s a fire wearing a hat, not a bug or human.
Dare we ask what was the inspiration for this comic?
Sometimes I come here to early, when the new comic isn’t up yet, and I have laugh again, just as hard.
I like this so much, I’m making it my username here!