Inspector Chapter 3 Flashcards
A _____ _____ primary duty is to help protect the life safety of the citizens and fire and emergency services responders in a community.
Fire Inspector’s
During _____ ______, the inspector must evaluate a building’s physical characteristics, construction materials, and contents to determine the appropriate level of protection for the occupancy.
Field Inspections
A material that will maintain combustion under specified environmental conditions:
(simple, don’t overthink)
Fuel
Substance that oxidizes another substance.
Oxidizing Agent
Anything that occupies space and has mass
Matter
Capacity to perform work; occurs when a force is applied to an object over a distance, or when a chemical, biological, or physical transformation is made in a substance.
Energy
_____ _____ is the study of the physical world around us and includes the sciences of chemistry and physics.
Physical Science
Chemical process that occurs when a substance combines with a oxidizer, such as oxygen in the air
Oxidation
A chemical process of oxidation that occurs at a rate fast enough to produce heat and usually light in the form of either a glow or flame
Combustion
Stored energy possessed by an object that can be released in the future to perform work once released.
Potential Energy
The energy possessed by a body because of its motion
Kinetic Energy
Chemical reaction that releases thermal energy or heat
Exothermic Reaction
A rapid oxidations process, which is a chemical reaction resulting in the evolution of light and heat in varying intensities.
Fire
Chemical reaction that absorbs thermal energy or heat.
Endothermic Reaction
Visible, luminous body of a burning gas emitting radiant energy, including light of various colors produced by burning gases or vapors during the combustion process.
Flame
Model used to explain the elements/conditions necessary for combustion. The sides of the triangle represent heat, oxygen, and fuel.
Fire Triangle
Model of the four elements/conditions required to have a fire. The four sides of the tetrahedron represent fuel, heat, oxygen, and self-sustaining chemical chain reaction.
Fire Tetrahedron
_____ _____ occurs when burning is localized on or near the fuel’s surface, where it is in contact with the oxygen.
Non-flaming Combustion
In _____ _____, oxidation involves fuel in the gas phase.
Flaming combustion
Measure of a materials ability to transfer heat energy to another object.
Temperature
_____ is the capacity to perform work.
Energy
_____ occurs when a force is applied to an object over a distance or when a substance experiences a chemical, biological, or physical transformation.
Work.
A unit of measure of power or rate of work equal to one joule per second (J/s)
Watt
The standard (SI) unit for power is:
Watt
Watt is measured _____ joule per _____
One Joule Per Second (J/s)
_____ is energy in transit.
Heat
The kinetic energy associated with the random motions of the molecules of a material or object; often used interchangeably with the terms head and heat energy. Measured in joules or BTU
Thermal Energy
The chemical decomposition of a solid material by heating. This often precedes combustion
Pyrolysis
Applying sufficient heat causes _____ in solid fuels and _____ in liquid fuels.
Pyrolysis/Vaporization
Physical process that changes a liquid into a gaseous state.
Vaporization
The process of initiating self-sustained combustion
Ignition
Moment when a mixture of fuel and oxygen encounters an external heat (ignition) source with sufficient heat or thermal energy to start the combustion reaction.
Piloted Ignition
Initiation of combustion by heat but without a spark or flame.
Autoignition
_____ _____ is the most common form of ignition
Piloted Ignition
The lowest temperature at which a combustible material ignites in air without spark or flame
Autoignition temperature (AIT)
_____ _____ is the most common source of heat in combustion reactions.
Chemical Energy
The result of exothermic reactions, occurring spontaneously in some materials in certain situations
Self-Heating
The _____ _____ almost always results in the production of thermal energy.
Oxidation Process
Initiation of combustion of a material by an internal chemical or biological reaction that has produced sufficient heat to ignite the material.
Spontaneous Ignition
_____ _____ can generate temperatures high enough to ignite any combustible materials near the heated area.
Electrical Energy
When electric current flows through a conductor, heat is produced.
(Type of Heating)
Resistance Heating
Examples: incandescent lamps, ranges, ovens, or portable heaters
When the current flowing through a conductor exceeds its design limits, it may overheat and present an ignition hazard. Unintentional resistance heating.
Overcurrent or overload
High temperature luminous electric discharge across a gap or through a medium such as charred insulation.
Arcing
When an electric arc occurs, luminous (glowing) particles can be formed and spatter away from the point of arcing.
Sparking
_____ _____ is generated by friction of compression.
Mechanical Energy
_____ _____ from one point or object to another is basic to the study of fire behavior.
Heat Transfer
Transfer of thermal energy is known as _____ _____
Heat Flux
The measure of the rate of heat transfer to a surface, expressed in kilowatts/m^2, kilojoules/m^2 x sec, or Btu/ft^2 x sec
Heat Flux
Transfer of heat through or between solids that are in direct contact.
Conduction
Heat transfer by circulation within a medium such as a gas or liquid.
Convection
Heat transfer by way of electromagnetic energy.
Radiation
The tendency or capacity to remain afloat in a liquid or rise in air or gas
Bouyant
Materials produced and released during burning.
Products of Combustion
_____ is a common cause of exposure fires
Radiation
Buoyant layer of hot gases and smoke produced by a fire in a compartment
Upper Layer
Materials that absorb heat but do not participate actively in the combustion process
Passive Agents
The fuel that is being oxidized or burned during combustion
Reducing agent
In building construction, one of the most common _____ _____ is drywall or gypsum board that contains moisture in the form of hydrates
Passive Agents
Total amount of thermal energy that could be generated by the combustion reaction if a fuel were completely burned. The _____ _____ _____ is measured in Btu.
Heat of Combustion
Total amount of heat released per unit of time
Heat Release Rate
Measured in kW or MW of output
Weight of a given volume of pure vapor or gas compared to the weight of an equal volume of dry air at the same temperature and pressure.
Vapor Density
Mass (weight) of a substance compared to the mass of an equal volume of water at a given temperature.
Specific Gravity
Any liquid having a flash point below 100 degrees F and a vapor pressure not exceeding 40 psi absolute
Flammable liquids
_____ must be vaporized in order to burn.
Liquids
Measure of the tendency of a substance to evaporate; the pressure at which a vapor is in equilibrium with its liquid phase for a given temperature
Vapor Pressure
Minimum temperate at which a liquid gives off enough vapors to form an ignitible mixture with air near the liquids surface
Flash point
Temperature at which a liquid fuel produces sufficient vapors to support combustion once the fuel is ignited. Must exceed 5 seconds of burning duration during the test.
Fire Point.
Degree to which a solid, liquid, or gas dissolves in a solvent
Solubility
Liquid fuels that vaporized sufficiently to burn at temperatures under _____ present a significant flammability hazard.
100 degrees F
38 degrees C
Hydrocarbon fuels do/do not mix with water
Do not
Polar solvents such as alcohols do/do not mix with water
Do
Materials that are capable of being mixed in all proportions
Miscible
Pyrolysis of wood beings at temperatures below _____ degrees.
400 Degrees F
204 Degrees C
At normal ambient temperatures (68F/20C), materials can ignited and burn at oxygen concentrations as low as__%
14%
Some _____-based materials will autoignite in oxygen-enriched atmospheres
Petroleum
The range between the upper flammable limit and the lower flammable limit in which a substance can be ignited
Flammable Range
Lower limit at which a flammable gas or vapor will ignite and support combustion
Lower Flammable Limit
Upper limit at which a flammable gas or vapor will ignite
Upper Flammable (Explosive) Limit
Molecular fragments that are highly reactive
Free Radicals
At various points in the combustion of methane, this process results in the production of _____ _____ and _____, which are both flammable and toxic
Carbon Dioxyde and Formeldehyde
Extinguishment of a fire by interruption of the chemical chain reaciton
Chemical Flame Inhibition
Class _ Fires involve ordinary combustible materials, such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber, grass, and many plastics.
Class A
Class _ Fires involve flammable and combustible liquids and gases as gasoline, oil, lacquer, methane, mineral spirits, and alcohol.
Class B
Class _ fires involve energized electrical equipment
Class C
Class _ fires involve combustible metals such as aluminum, magnesium, potassium, sodium, titanium, and zirconium. Can react violently with water.
Class D
Verifying compatibility of extinguishing agents for class D materials is vital to safety.
Class _ fires involve vegetable-based oils and greases normally found in commercial kitchens using deep fryers
Class K
Class K fires require an extinguishing agent specifically formulated for the involved materials. Through a process knowns as _____, these agents turn fats and oils into a soapy foam that extinguishes the fire.
Saponification
A phenomenon that occurs when mixtures of alkaline-based chemicals and certain cooking oils come into contact resulting in the formation of a soapy film.
Saponification
In a compartment fire, _____-_____-_____ ratio is one of the most fundamental Class A fuel characteristic influencing fire development
Surface-To-Mass
The type of fuel involved in combustion affects the:
Heat Release Rate (HRR)
The total quantity of combustible contents of a building, space, or fire area:
Fuel Load
First Stage of the burning process in a compartment which the substance being oxidized is producing some heat, but the heat has not spread to other substances nearby.
Incipient Stage
The column of hot gases, flames, and smoke rising above a fire:
Plume, Convection Column, Thermal updraft, Thermal column
A relatively thin layer of flowing hot gasses that develops under a horizontal structure as a result of plume impingement and the flowing gas being forced to move horizontally
Ceiling Jet
