Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent Flashcards
What is the most important element in extinguishing a fire?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
Simple Water
Water is a _______ Compound:
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
Chemical
What is the temperature range of water in its liquid state?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
Between 32 and 212 degrees F
What is another term for water vapor?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
Steam
Can water be compressed in its liquid state?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
No
How many gallons are in 1 cubic foot of fresh water?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
7.48 gallons
What is the most useful state of water to fight fires in confined areas?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
Steam
How is water’s density measured?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
Pounds per cubic foot
Fire protection calculations typically assign ordinary fresh water a weight of _________ lbs per cubic foot?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
62.4
What is the weight of 1 gallon of water?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
8.34 lbs
What is the weight per cubic foot of seawater?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
64 lbs
How much does 1 gallon of seawater weigh?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
8.56 lbs
What is the primary way water extinguishes a fire?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
By cooling, or removing heat from the fire
All substances have a given capacity to absorb heat. This capacity is known as the substance’s:
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
Specific Heat
Heat absorbtion, i.e. Heat transfer, occurs when:
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
heat flows from a warmer object to a cooler object. (it never occurs the other way around)
A British Thermal Unit is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of:
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
1 lb of water 1 degree F
What unit of measure has replaced the calorie in the International System of Units?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
A joule
How many joules are in 1 calorie?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
4.18 joules
Water absorbs heat ________ times more effectively than carbon dioxide?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
500
The amount of heat that water can absorb when it changes from a liquid to vapor is referred to as:
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
The latent heat of vaporization
The temperature at which a liquid absorbs enough heat to change to vapor is known as its:
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
Boiling Point
Each pound of water requires an additional ________ BTUs of additional heat to complete the conversion to steam from its boiling point?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
970 BTUs
What is the expansion ratio of water from liquid to steam?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
1:1700
The speed at which water absorbs heat increases in proportion to:
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
the surface area of the water exposed
_________ has a greater heat-absorbing capacity than other common extinguishing agents?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
Water
What are some of the Disadvantages of water as an extinguishing agent?
[Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply: Chapter 1: Water As An Extinguishing Agent]
- Considerable amount of surface tension
- Reacts with some materials
- The temperature at which it freezes
- Low viscosity; Low adhesion ability
- Conducts electricity through particulates