Fire accelerant

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/fire-accelerant

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the chemical classification?Substances or mixtures that accelerate combustion
2. What is the combustion mechanism?Rapid vaporization and oxidation, increasing heat release rate
3. How does a fire accelerant make a fire grow faster?It works by vaporizing quickly when heated, mixing with air to form a very flammable gas. This gas burns fast, giving the fire a big burst of heat that makes nearby stuff burn faster too.
4. Why do firefighters look for fire accelerants at a fire scene?Firefighters check for accelerants because they can show that someone may have started the fire on purpose. Finding one helps investigators learn how the fire began and why it spread so fast.

Exothermic Oxidation: A chemical reaction that releases heat and involves a substance combining with oxygen.
Volatility: The tendency of a substance to vaporize easily at relatively low temperatures.
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS): A laboratory technique used to identify and quantify chemical compounds.