The scientific name for burning is "combustion." In most cases oxygen from the air combines with some material that can burn. This produces heat. If the process takes place rapidly, we may see flames or an intense glow which is called fire. Chemically during combustion, two atoms of oxygen from the air combine with one atom of carbon from the fuel to form carbon dioxide. How Fires Get Extinguished? An understanding of how fires burn …showed first 75 words of 365 total…

…showed last 75 words of 365 total…This not only displaces oxygen from around the fire but chemically reacts in a way that shuts down combustion. It decomposes into chlorine and bromine radicals, which scavenge hydrogen radicals essential for keeping combustion going. Halon extinguishers, like CO2 extinguishers chemically shut down combustion. They are being phased out because of the damage chlorofluorocarbons do to the ozone layer. Especially good for electrical fires. WEBSITE: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/nov2000/974329262.Ch.r.html