• Question: If you were to drop a match into a bucket of petrol, is it true that it would go out? Or would it explode?

    Asked by 694utec48 to Paul, Jonny on 19 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Paul Brack

      Paul Brack answered on 19 Jun 2015:


      If it were cold, and there was no petrol vapour above the petrol, then the match would just drop into the liquid petrol, and, as it would be submerged and starved of oxygen, it would go out.
      However, if it was warmer, and there was enough petrol vapour in the air above the liquid petrol, then the match would ignite the petrol vapour, and it would go boom.

Comments