Question

5. Why are water and sand used to extinguish fires?​

Answer 1

ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ sᴀɴᴅ ɪs ᴜsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴛɪɴɢᴜɪsʜ ғɪʀᴇs ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴡᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴡ ɪᴛ ᴏɴ ᴀ ғɪʀᴇ, ɪᴛ ᴘʀᴇᴠᴇɴᴛs ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀᴇ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀᴄᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ. ᴀs ᴡᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ ɪs ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴜʀɴɪɴɢ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ sᴀɴᴅ ᴇxᴛɪɴɢᴜɪsʜᴇs ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀᴇ ᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀᴇ ᴅᴏᴇs ɴᴏᴛ ɢᴇᴛ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ ғᴏʀ ʙᴜʀɴɪɴɢ.

Answer 2

■ "When you put water on a fire it does two things. It displaces the free oxygen molecules (which have two atoms of oxygen) so that it is not available to participate in the burning process AND it turns to steam, carrying heat away from the fire, cooling it to the point where it can no longer burn."

AND

■ Sand because it is cheap, easily available, non-combustible, absorbs heat, and forms a layer to block oxygen.