Why don’t wet things burn?
In: Chemistry
Water soaks up a *lot* of heat energy compared to changes in its temperature. When you try to light something on fire, the water soaks up all the extra heat that would otherwise go toward ignition, and boils off before reaching the temperature that would ignite the material. By the time the thing is hot enough to burn, it’s dry.
Other than the initial spark needed to get things rolling, fire requires fuel (wood, for example) and oxygen (gaseous O2) to continue burning. Water on the fuel prevents the fire from getting the oxygen it needs.
Some do. Water makes things less inclined to burn, as it itself does not burn and reduces how much heat is absorbed by the fuel. Less heat makes fires less able to do their thing. When water boils, it sucks even more heat away and pushes air (which fire needs) away.
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