Chapter 14 Flashcards
Accelerant
A compound that facilitates the initiation and/or growth of a fire.
Flashover
The rapid transition to a fully developed fire by the nearly simultaneous ignition of all
Backdraft
When a fire burns in an enclosed space and uses up much of its oxygen supply, starving the fire of oxygen and then oxygen is rapidly reintroduced to the room that has accumulated unburned fuel, often producing an explosion.
Backdraft
When a fire burns in an enclosed space and uses up much of its oxygen supply, starving the fire of oxygen and then oxygen is rapidly reintroduced to the room that has accumulated unburned fuel, often producing an explosion.
Black Powder
a mixture of potassium nitrate, carbon and sulfur (usually in a 75:15:10 ratio) that burns very rapidly upon ignition.
Brisance
The shattering power of a shock wave.
Detonation
Very rapid oxidation reaction generated by high explosives that produces highly destructive supersonic pressure waves.
Exothermic Reaction
A chemical reaction that liberates heat.
Fire
The rapid oxidation of substances through combustion reactions with the evolution of energy, often in the form of heat and light, and the formation of chemical products.
Dynamite
A mixture of an adsorbent, such as diatomaceous earth, sawdust, clay or wood pulp, that has been soaked in nitroglycerin. a stable explosive
Dynamite
A mixture of an adsorbent, such as diatomaceous earth, sawdust, clay or wood pulp, that has been soaked in nitroglycerin. a stable explosive
Flashover
The rapid transition to a fully developed fire by the nearly simultaneous ignition of all the flammable materials in an enclosed space.
Flashover
The rapid transition to a fully developed fire by the nearly simultaneous ignition of all the flammable materials in an enclosed space.
Chemical explosive
A chemical that undergoes an extremely rapid chemical reaction that releases both kinetic and thermal energy.
Combustion
The rapid oxidation of a compound where a fuel reacts with an oxidant to form new compounds formed of each element in the fuel combined with the oxidant, and the generation of heat and light.
Chain reaction
A long series of reactions with initiation, propagation and termination steps in which the products spread the reaction
Chain reaction
A long series of reactions with initiation, propagation and termination steps in which the products spread the reaction
Activation energy
The energy necessary to overcome the energetic barrier to a chemical reaction.
Air-fuel ratio
The relative amounts of oxygen and fuel in the gaseous mixture.
Arson
The criminal act of intentionally setting fire without lawful consent.
Auto-ignition temperature (or kindling point)
The minimum temperature at which a substance will spontaneously ignite without an external source of ignition.
Fire tetrahedron
A diagram showing the close relationship between the four elements required for a fire to be sustained: fuel, oxygen, heat, and chemical chain reaction.
Flammability limits
The upper and lower threshold limits of the air-fuel mixtures that re required for combustion to occur.
Kinetic Energy
The energy of motion.
RXD
A nitro-containing high explosive.
Oxidant (or oxidizer)
A chemical that can either transfer oxygen atoms to or remove electrons from another chemical compound.
Secondary explosive
An explosive compound that is relatively stable to heat or shock an requires more energy to be detonated, usually provided by a primary explosive.
Modus Operandi
The method a person uses to commit a crime.
Smoldering
The slow, lower temperature combustion of compounds without a flame, often giving incomplete combustion products such as CO.
Shock wave
A wave that consists of highly compressed gasses that travel rapidly outward from a point of detonation.
Smokeless Powder
An nitrocellulose-based explosive.
TNT
A secondary high explosive made of trinitrotoluene.
Halon
An active fire suppressant that is one of a family of halomethane compounds.
Deflagration
A combustion reaction, often generated by a low explosive, that is propagated mainly
by a subsonic flame front (low intensity pressure wave).
Heat of combustion: (ΔH°combustion)
The characteristic amount of energy released by a compound upon burning, expressed usually in JK per mole or gram of substance.
