Mixing
Why does wood burn but not sugar?
Clash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Fundamentally, they're both carbohydrates, although the cellulose in wood is essentially polymerized glucose, which combined with its isomer fructose forms sucrose.
So why does wood readily burn while table sugar chars?
physical-chemistry combustion physical-organic-chemistry
asked 1 hour ago
user43479
142
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Fundamentally, they're both carbohydrates, although the cellulose in wood is essentially polymerized glucose, which combined with its isomer fructose forms sucrose.
So why does wood readily burn while table sugar chars?
physical-chemistry combustion physical-organic-chemistry
asked 1 hour ago
user43479
142
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Fundamentally, they're both carbohydrates, although the cellulose in wood is essentially polymerized glucose, which combined with its isomer fructose forms sucrose.
So why does wood readily burn while table sugar chars?
physical-chemistry combustion physical-organic-chemistry
asked 1 hour ago
user43479
142
Fundamentally, they're both carbohydrates, although the cellulose in wood is essentially polymerized glucose, which combined with its isomer fructose forms sucrose.
So why does wood readily burn while table sugar chars?
physical-chemistry combustion physical-organic-chemistry
physical-chemistry combustion physical-organic-chemistry
asked 1 hour ago
user43479
142
asked 1 hour ago
user43479
142
asked 1 hour ago
user43479
142
asked 1 hour ago
user43479
142
asked 1 hour ago
user43479
142
142
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
up vote
2
down vote
Combustion is a gas phase reaction. The heat of the flame vapourises the substrate and it's the vapour that reacts with the air. That's why heat is needed to get combustion started.
Anyhow, wood contains lots of relatively volatile compounds so it's not too hard to get combustion started. Once combustion has started the heat of the flame keeps the reaction going.
However sugar dehydrates and emits water when you heat it. Water isn't flammable (obviously) so there's no way to get combustion started. Dehydration leaves behind pure carbon and that is non-volatile so again there's no way to get this to burn. Carbon will burn of course, but you need a high temperature to get it going.
answered 39 mins ago
John Rennie
994614
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
2
down vote
Combustion is a gas phase reaction. The heat of the flame vapourises the substrate and it's the vapour that reacts with the air. That's why heat is needed to get combustion started.
Anyhow, wood contains lots of relatively volatile compounds so it's not too hard to get combustion started. Once combustion has started the heat of the flame keeps the reaction going.
However sugar dehydrates and emits water when you heat it. Water isn't flammable (obviously) so there's no way to get combustion started. Dehydration leaves behind pure carbon and that is non-volatile so again there's no way to get this to burn. Carbon will burn of course, but you need a high temperature to get it going.
answered 39 mins ago
John Rennie
994614
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
Combustion is a gas phase reaction. The heat of the flame vapourises the substrate and it's the vapour that reacts with the air. That's why heat is needed to get combustion started.
Anyhow, wood contains lots of relatively volatile compounds so it's not too hard to get combustion started. Once combustion has started the heat of the flame keeps the reaction going.
However sugar dehydrates and emits water when you heat it. Water isn't flammable (obviously) so there's no way to get combustion started. Dehydration leaves behind pure carbon and that is non-volatile so again there's no way to get this to burn. Carbon will burn of course, but you need a high temperature to get it going.
answered 39 mins ago
John Rennie
994614
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
Combustion is a gas phase reaction. The heat of the flame vapourises the substrate and it's the vapour that reacts with the air. That's why heat is needed to get combustion started.
Anyhow, wood contains lots of relatively volatile compounds so it's not too hard to get combustion started. Once combustion has started the heat of the flame keeps the reaction going.
However sugar dehydrates and emits water when you heat it. Water isn't flammable (obviously) so there's no way to get combustion started. Dehydration leaves behind pure carbon and that is non-volatile so again there's no way to get this to burn. Carbon will burn of course, but you need a high temperature to get it going.
answered 39 mins ago
John Rennie
994614
Combustion is a gas phase reaction. The heat of the flame vapourises the substrate and it's the vapour that reacts with the air. That's why heat is needed to get combustion started.
Anyhow, wood contains lots of relatively volatile compounds so it's not too hard to get combustion started. Once combustion has started the heat of the flame keeps the reaction going.
However sugar dehydrates and emits water when you heat it. Water isn't flammable (obviously) so there's no way to get combustion started. Dehydration leaves behind pure carbon and that is non-volatile so again there's no way to get this to burn. Carbon will burn of course, but you need a high temperature to get it going.
answered 39 mins ago
John Rennie
994614
answered 39 mins ago
John Rennie
994614
answered 39 mins ago
John Rennie
994614
answered 39 mins ago
John Rennie
994614
994614
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fchemistry.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f103777%2fwhy-does-wood-burn-but-not-sugar%23new-answer', 'question_page');
);
Post as a guest
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
