Question

A carbon dioxide fire extinguisher removes which of the four components of the fire tetrahedron to extinguish a fire?

A) uninhibited chain reaction
B) fuel
C) oxygen
D) ignition source

Answer 1

A carbon dioxide fire extinguisher extinguishes a fire by removing the oxygen component of the fire tetrahedron, thus smothering the fire and preventing it from continuing to burn. A carbon dioxide fire extinguisher removes "oxygen" of the fire tetrahedron to extinguish a fire. So, the correct option is "c" "oxygen".

Step-by-step explanation:

A carbon dioxide fire extinguisher works by removing one of the components of the fire tetrahedron necessary to sustain a fire. The fire tetrahedron consists of four elements: fuel, oxygen, heat, and an uninhibited chain reaction.

When using a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher, it primarily removes the oxygen component by displacing the air around the fire with CO₂, which is non-combustible and does not support combustion. This smothers the fire, removing the necessary oxygen that the fire needs to continue burning.

To answer the question, a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher removes C) oxygen to extinguish a fire. It does not directly remove the fuel or the ignition source, nor does it inhibit the chain reaction chemically; instead, it physically displaces the oxygen that the fire requires.

A carbon dioxide fire extinguisher removes "oxygen" of the fire tetrahedron to extinguish a fire. So, the correct option is "c" "oxygen".

Answer 2

A carbon dioxide fire extinguisher removes oxygen from the fire tetrahedron, which is required for combustion. The use of carbon tetrachloride in extinguishers has been discontinued due to toxic by-product formation. The ideal outcome for combustion reactions is the production of CO₂ and H₂O; however, CO can form when oxygen is limited.

Step-by-step explanation:

A carbon dioxide fire extinguisher works by removing one of the components of the fire tetrahedron, which is a model for understanding the elements needed for most fires.

The fire tetrahedron consists of four components: fuel, heat, oxygen, and an uninhibited chain reaction. In the context of this question, a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher extinguishes a fire by displacing oxygen around the fire with CO₂, since CO₂ is heavier than air. The removal of oxygen from the environment of the fire suffocates the fire, as oxygen is a vital component for the combustion process to continue.

Carbon tetrachloride was once used in fire extinguishers, especially for electrical fires. However, it has fallen out of favor due to the formation of toxic gases such as phosgene (Cl₂CO) when it is exposed to heat. Phosgene is especially dangerous as it is a poisonous gas that was used as a chemical weapon during World War I. When providing the Lewis structures for carbon tetrachloride and phosgene, each molecule's structure is drawn to reflect the arrangement of the atoms and the distribution of electrons around them.

Regarding combustion reactions, the ideal by-products of the combustion of hydrocarbons in the presence of adequate oxygen are carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O). However, in real-world scenarios, where oxygen supply might be limited or the mixture of reactants is imperfect, by-products like carbon monoxide (CO) can form, potentially leading to dangerous situations, such as poisoning from improperly ventilated gas heaters.