• HikingVet@lemmy.ca
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    3 days ago

    No, I get that. Not why I asked the question.

    If you have a compound like potassium super oxide chatch light in a vacuum, does it still burn because it has it’s own oxidizer?

    • Skyrmir@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      By itself in a vacuum, no. Under gas pressure, when contacted by water it will react from the point of contact until all reactants are complete. I wouldn’t consider the reaction to be ‘fire’ though. At least not personally. Drop some hydrocarbons in the mix and you’ll get a fire as the oxygen produced gets something to react with.

    • higgsboson@piefed.social
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      3 days ago

      Yes, that is how rockets get to space, for example. Earth’s atmo is ~21% Oxygen. So that is giving flames a boost. Careful not conflate “burn” with the presence of flames. In a vacuum, the flame could only exist briefly because there isnt the available Oxygen from the air. The reaction will (or might?) still happen, but without the oxygen to produce a flame.

      BTW, this has been studied in microgravity aboard the ISS.