Re: pinhole Re: rising water level science

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From: pauld@exploratorium.edu
Date: Sun Jan 18 2004 - 09:16:51 PST 

Message-ID: <1088.209.239.173.234.1074446211.squirrel@www.exo.net>
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2004 09:16:51 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: pinhole Re: rising water level science
From: pauld@exploratorium.edu

Carbon Dioxide is much more soluble in water than oxygen gas.

Paul D

> Treena,
>
> Yes, the O2 is replaced by products of combustion: CO2 and H2O. If you
> are burning a saturated hydrocarbon (wax, etc), the products will replace
> the O2 1-to-1. Carbohydrates will actually produce more particles of
> combustion products than O2 used. Not sure how the solubility of CO2 and
> O2 compare (don't have any of my references available), but the H2O vapor
> should already be at equilibrium with the liquid H2O in the setup. The
> catch is that the H2O vapor from combustion will condense on the other
> surfaces inside the setup, reducing their volume to about 1/1000 of their
> volume as a gas. Both the condensing of the water vapor and the cooling
> of the gases after the match goes out will cause the water level to rise.
> Usually, if I remember correctly, the level rises slowly while the object
> is burning and then rises quickly after the flame goes out. The
> condensation rate should be higher after the flame goes out, and obviously
> the temperature decrease will happen after the!
> flame
> goes out.
>
> Does this help, or simply blow more smoke on the water? :-)
>
> Roy Mayeda
> Still at large and getting larger
>
>
> ---------------------------------
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