Fire, an agent of construction and destruction

Fire is one of the five basic elements of the universe according to the first textbook of physics, Vaiseshika written in 600 BC. It is a fundamental entity that exists and can mix with other substances and change their properties. Fire occurs when chemicals react in a manner that releases heat and visible light. It is as simple as that. Yet fire is such a complicated agency in our life that it boggles our imagination. Scientific evidence suggests that humans learned to control fire about 800,000 years ago. Since then we have used fire to cook, to scare animals and to produce light where needed. We have learnt to control it and make it mobile. Petroleum and its products have allowed us to control fire and ignition in an unprecedented manner. Internal combustion engines that run everything from cars, trains and early aeroplanes is the ultimate demonstration of our ability to control fire. A small spark burns the inflammable mixture of fuel and oxygen in the chamber of internal combustion engine for a fraction of a second and produce hot gases that drive a whole host of motions.
Fire is an extremely complex entity. To make the point, I am reproducing below, some of the pictures of an equivalent of Amar Jawan Jyoti in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan.
This fire is fed continuously by an underground gas line. The gas comes out at a low pressure and mixes with cool air of an open area. If the gas catches fire quickly, it rises as a single large flame of hot gases. On the other hand if the surrounding interferes with the gas that is coming out, the flames can disintegrate into many distinct blobs, each hot with burning fuel and yet separated from other cool blobs.
The fire won’t extend into the tube because, oxygen, that is vital for burning is not available inside the tube!
DNA

 

Fire, an agent of construction and destruction

Fire is one of the five basic elements of the universe according to the first textbook of physics, Vaiseshika written in 600 BC. It is a fundamental entity that exists and can mix with other substances and change their properties. Fire occurs when chemicals react in a manner that releases heat and visible light. It is as simple as that. Yet fire is such a complicated agency in our life that it boggles our imagination. Scientific evidence suggests that humans learned to control fire about 800,000 years ago. Since then we have used fire to cook, to scare animals and to produce light where needed. We have learnt to control it and make it mobile. Petroleum and its products have allowed us to control fire and ignition in an unprecedented manner. Internal combustion engines that run everything from cars, trains and early aeroplanes is the ultimate demonstration of our ability to control fire. A small spark burns the inflammable mixture of fuel and oxygen in the chamber of internal combustion engine for a fraction of a second and produce hot gases that drive a whole host of motions. Fire is an extremely complex entity. To make the point, I am reproducing below, some of the pictures of an equivalent of Amar Jawan Jyoti in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan. This fire is fed continuously by an underground gas line. The gas comes out at a low pressure and mixes with cool air of an open area. If the gas catches fire quickly, it rises as a single large flame of hot gases. On the other hand if the surrounding interferes with the gas that is coming out, the flames can disintegrate into many distinct blobs, each hot with burning fuel and yet separated from other cool blobs. The fire wont extend into the tube because, oxygen, that is vital for burning is not available inside the tube! DNA