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Adrien Varela

Mrs. Stevens

Physical Science

12 December 2018

Which Types of Paper Burn the Fastest?

Have you ever wondered how paper burns and which types of paper are most

flammable? Did you know that firefighters actually test for flammability during their training

(Goldstein). Understanding flammability is important and can actually save lives.​ Before I

began my experiment, I thought that if I burned the craft paper, copy paper, cardstock, sand

paper, and construction paper, then the copy paper would burn the fastest because it was the

thinnest. The results of my experiment were unexpected.

Why Are Some Objects Flammable?

An object can either be flammable or combustible, meaning it can burn. Some objects

are ​oxidisable, which causes them to catch on fire making them flammable. The more volatility

an object has, the more flammable it is. Materials have to be oxidized in order to burn (​Neretin).

The flammability also depends on whether the material you are burning bonds with oxygen

well. If so, it creates large amounts of energy which causes the fire (​Nizzle).

How Is Flammability Measured?

The good news is flammability can be measured using several different methods. This is

very helpful in creating new products and keeping people safe. When flammability is measured,

it is called fire testing. Flammability is measured using tunnel or panel tests. It can also be

measured by ​ignitability, limiting oxygen index, and calorimetry​. Any of these five methods can
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be used to measure flammability (​Corbett).

How Does Surface Area Affect Flammability?

Surface area can affect flammability in many different ways. Things burn faster on a

solid surface (​Fry). ​The width can affect surface area because the more space there is, the longer

somethings take to burn, and if something has a smaller width, it will burn quicker. Larger

things also take longer to burn while smaller things burn quickly. If an object is held

horizontally, then it will burn slower, but if an object is held vertically, it will burn quicker. This

is because the fire is rising and spreads quicker when it is rising (​Soderholm).

How Does Volatility Affect Flammability?

Volatility, or how easily a substance will vaporize, affects flammability by making

something burn faster. Objects ignite when mixed with air, because volatile compounds

combust more readily and spontaneously (​Campbell). ​It is not the object that is giving off the

flame, it is actually the vapor around it. The easier the liquid gives off the vapor, the easier it is

going to ignite . The vapor around an object is what is causing it to burn (​Soderholm). ​If

something has more volatility, it will turn to vapor more quickly. The more volatility is has, the

lower​ vapor pressure it has, and lower vapor pressure means it will vaporize more quickly.

What Is Added To Fire Retardant Paper? And Why Doesn't It Burn?

There are a few different materials added to paper to make it fire retardant, giving it the

ability to slow or stop the spread of fire. Borax is one thing that can be added to fire retardant

paper. Since borax doesn't catch fire, when added to paper, the paper becomes non flammable

(​Ragan). ​ Fire retardant paper is also made of silicon or sometimes wax. Fire fighters actually

use a liquid fire retardant that contains phosphate fertilizer to put out fires. Fire retardant liquid
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doesn't put out the fire completely, it just slows it down (​Soderholm).

What Safety Precautions Should Be Taken When Burning Paper?

It is important to take safety precautions when working with fire. You should always

wear gloves, safety goggles, and long sleeved shirts to protect the hands and protect the eyes

(​Soderholm). ​ Loose or dangling things can potentially come into contact with the flame, so

don't have anything dangling. You should also wear clothing that fits snugly to reduce the

chances of the material catching fire (​Frost). Wearing proper safety gear to prevent accidents

from happening, is very important. Finally, make sure to keep the safety gear on until you are

done using the fire.

I thought that if I burned ​five different types of paper, then the copy paper would burn

the fastest because it was the thinnest. ​ I​ used 2x2 pieces of paper, and the craft paper

unexpectedly burned the fastest at an average of 15.73 seconds. Construction paper also burned

faster than copy paper at an average of 15.92 seconds. Copy paper actually burned at an average

of 16.51 seconds, proving my hypothesis wrong. The card stock burned at 37.72 seconds, which

was quite longer than the other three papers. However, sandpaper took the longest to burn at an

average of 41.47 seconds, which makes sense because sandpaper actually has little pieces of

sand and graphite on the paper, so it takes longer for the flames to get through it. In the end, I

found out that the copy paper didn’t burn the fastest even though it seemed to me to be the most

flammable.
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Works Cited

Campbell, Allison. ​Volatile​. Internal Combustion Engine - Energy Education, September 18,

2015 , 18 Sept. 2015.

Cockey, Christine. “What Makes Flammable Materials?” Science Fun, 15 Apr. 2015,

www.mistralmtn.blogspot.com/2015/04/what-makes-flammable-materials.html​.

Corbett, Judy. “Flammability.” NASA, NASA, 14 Oct. 2015,

www.nasa.gov/centers/wstf/testing_and_analysis/materials_flight_acceptance/flammabil

ity.html​.

Frost, Shelley. “Safety Precautions When Using Flames in Science.” Sciencing.com, Sciencing,

26 Apr. 2018, ​www.sciencing.com/safety-precautions-using-flames-science-22224.html​.

Fry, C.J. “FLAMMABILITY.” THERMOPEDIA™, 2 Feb. 2011,

www.thermopedia.com/content/767/r

Goldstein, Joseph. “As Furniture Burns Quicker, Firefighters Reconsider Tactics.” The New

York Times, 1 July 2012, ​https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/02/nyregion/nyc-fire-dept-

rethinking-tactics-in-house-fires.html

Neretin, Ivan. “Why Are Some Materials More Flammable than Others?” Chemistry Stack

Exchange, 2017,

https://www.chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/87322/why-are-some-materials-m

ore-flammable-than-others​.

Nizzle. “What the Reasons That Makes Element Flammable ?” Experiments | Naked Scientists,

11 Apr. 2011, ​www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=41676.0​.

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Ragan, Sean Michael. “How-To: Fireproof Paper | Make:” Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for

Makers, Make: Projects, 12 Nov. 2012, ​https://www.makezine.com/2012/11/12/

how-to-fireproof-paper/​.

Soderholm, Trevor. “Science Fair Interview .” 27 Nov. 2018.