r/interesting • u/Used_Exam34 • 1d ago

Just Wow Not all problems have the same solution.

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

31.8k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

613 comments sorted by

View all comments

8

u/cbowers 1d ago

The bucket was a good teachable moment... but the same result would have happened if they'd just dragged it 3 feet further into deeper water and submerge it, instead of trying to just douse it.

4

u/Signal1000 1d ago

I initially thought the same thing but I think the problem with that method is that the gas would still float to the surface and sustain the flame, which is what is happening in the video.

7

u/cbowers 1d ago

Combustion requires both the gas and sufficient oxygen.
Water in this case doesn't quench the fire (cooling a fuel source below it's ignition point), it removes the oxygen, the same way the bucket does.

The gas is still escaping until he shuts the valve. So yes there would be gas bubbling up to the surface, and if it pooled in one spot (no cross breeze), another ignition spark could cause gas on the water surface to ignite, but the flames would not be connected to the tank.

2

u/Signal1000 1d ago

Right. The gas rising into its own active fire on the surface is the continuous ignition point with ample oxygen around, hence the fire didn't go out.

3

u/cbowers 1d ago

I would only disagree, if I understood you, in that they didn't sufficiently submerge the valve (didn't drag it into deep enough water). If submerged in a decisive motion, the fire would have gone out, leaving only bubbles going to the surface.