Title: (Optional) Describe the chemistry of fire.
Course: Forensic Technology (15055) > Section: Analyzing Forensic Aspects of Arson and Explosion Investigations

Description of the components of fire should include

- heat
- fuel
- oxygen
- chemical reaction.

Description of the processes should include

- oxidation
- pyrolysis
- vaporization.

Description of heat transmission should include

- conduction
- convection
- radiation.

Description of the products of combustion should include

- smoke
- gases (toxic)
- heat release
- light.

Process/Skill Questions:

- What are the effects of fire on iron?
- How is heat energy best transported from one location to the next?
- What makes a flame blue?
- Why is it important to know the temperature thresholds at which elements change state?
- What effects does heat have on steam production?
- What are examples of endothermic and exothermic reactions?
- What do chemical suffixes (e.g., -ines, -ates, and -ides) tell us about the nature of chemicals and their composition?