CIA Demonstration: Cool Fire (6.1.6)

Question 1

• Heat capacity measures the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature
of a material.

Answer 1

• Heat capacity measures the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature
of a material.

Question 2

• Water has a high heat capacity allowing it to absorb a large amount of energy with
a small change in temperature.

Answer 2

• Water has a high heat capacity allowing it to absorb a large amount of energy with
a small change in temperature.

Question 3

Heat capacity measures the amount of energy
needed to raise the temperature of a material.
Water has a high heat capacity, allowing it to absorb
a large amount of energy with a small change in
temperature.
The combustion reaction of ethanol is
exothermic, generating 1367 kilojoules per mole of
ethanol burned.
Ordinarily this would be enough energy to start the
combustion reaction of the paper, but the high
specific heat of water absorbs most of the energy.
The same principle allows special effects in which
something appears to burn without being
consumed, and also allows people to walk on hot
coals without burning their feet.

Answer 3

Heat capacity measures the amount of energy
needed to raise the temperature of a material.
Water has a high heat capacity, allowing it to absorb
a large amount of energy with a small change in
temperature.
The combustion reaction of ethanol is
exothermic, generating 1367 kilojoules per mole of
ethanol burned.
Ordinarily this would be enough energy to start the
combustion reaction of the paper, but the high
specific heat of water absorbs most of the energy.
The same principle allows special effects in which
something appears to burn without being
consumed, and also allows people to walk on hot
coals without burning their feet.