WorksheetsFire Behavior Terminology
Total questions: 40
Worksheet time: 20mins
What is combustion according to NFPA® 921?
A physical process that changes a liquid into a gaseous state.
A chemical process of oxidation that occurs at a rate fast enough to produce heat and usually light in the form of either a glow or flame.
A chemical reaction that absorbs thermal energy or heat.
A rapid oxidation process resulting in the evolution of light and heat at varying intensities.
What is the primary difference between fire and combustion as defined by NFPA® 921?
Fire is a form of energy, while combustion is a chemical process.
Fire is a rapid oxidation process, while combustion is a slower chemical reaction.
Fire is a chemical reaction resulting in light and heat, while combustion is a form of energy.
Fire is a rapid oxidation process resulting in light and heat, while combustion is a chemical process that may or may not produce light.
According to NFPA® 921, what is heat?
A material that will maintain combustion under specific environmental conditions.
A form of energy characterized by vibration of molecules and capable of initiating and supporting chemical changes and changes of state.
The energy possessed by a body because of its motion.
A chemical process that occurs when a substance combines with an oxidizer.
What is the measure of a material's ability to transfer heat energy to other objects, as mentioned in NFPA® 921?
Potential Energy
Kinetic Energy
Temperature
Joules
What is the role of an oxidizer in the context of combustion?
It is a material that readily yields oxygen or other oxidizing gas, or that readily reacts to promote or initiate combustion.
It is a material that will maintain combustion under specific environmental conditions.
It is the energy possessed by a body because of its motion.
It is a chemical reaction that releases thermal energy or heat.
What is the definition of matter as provided by NFPA® 921?
Anything that occupies space and has mass.
A chemical process that occurs when a substance combines with an oxidizer.
Stored energy possessed by an object that can be released in the future to perform work once released.
The energy possessed by a body because of its motion.
What is oxidation?
A chemical reaction that absorbs thermal energy or heat.
A physical process that changes a liquid into a gaseous state.
A chemical process that occurs when a substance combines with an oxidizer such as oxygen in the air.
The chemical decomposition of a solid material by heating.
How many Joules are required to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius?
1 Joule
4.2 Joules
10 Joules
100 Joules
What is the process of initiating self-sustained combustion called?
Autoignition
Piloted Ignition
Ignition
Flame
What is Piloted Ignition?
Combustion initiated by heat without a spark or flame
The lowest temperature at which a material ignites
A visible, luminous body of a burning gas
Combustion that occurs when a fuel and oxygen mixture encounters an external heat source
What is Autoignition?
The process of initiating combustion with a spark
The initiation of combustion by heat without a spark or flame
A model used to explain the elements necessary for combustion
Materials that absorb heat but do not participate in the combustion process
What is the Autoignition Temperature?
The temperature at which a material sustains combustion
The temperature at which a material stops burning
The lowest temperature at which a combustible material ignites in air without a spark or flame
The temperature at which a material first ignites with a spark
What does the Fire Triangle model represent?
The four elements necessary for a chemical reaction
The three materials that absorb heat during combustion
The elements/conditions necessary for combustion: heat, oxygen, and fuel
The process of self-sustaining chemical chain reaction
What is the Fire Tetrahedron a model of?
The three states of matter
The four elements/conditions required to have a fire
The four types of chemical reactions
The four stages of combustion
What is Carbon Monoxide (CO)?
A colorless, odorless, and non-toxic gas
A colorless, odorless, dangerous gas formed by the incomplete combustion of carbon
A colorless, toxic gas formed by the combustion of nitrogen-bearing substances
A colorless gas used in fire extinguishers
What is Thermal Energy?
The energy associated with the light of various colors given off by a flame
The kinetic energy associated with the random motions of the molecules of a material or object
The result of exothermic reactions occurring spontaneously in some materials
The energy required to initiate combustion
What is Self-Heating?
The process of heating a material to its autoignition temperature
The result of endothermic reactions absorbing heat from the surroundings
The result of exothermic reactions, occurring spontaneously in some materials under certain conditions, where heat is generated at a rate sufficient to raise the temperature of the material
The process of heating a material using an external heat source
What is Spontaneous Ignition as defined by NFPA 921?
Combustion of a material by an external heat source.
Initiation of combustion of a material by an internal chemical or biological reaction that produced sufficient heat to ignite the material.
A rapid oxidation process that produces heat and light.
The measure of the rate of heat transfer to a surface.
How is Heat Flux measured according to the information provided?
In British Thermal Units (Btu) per pound.
In joules per second (J/s).
In kilowatts per square meter (kW/m²).
In Megajoules per kilogram.
What does Conduction refer to?
Heat transfer by circulation within a medium such as a gas or a liquid.
Heat transfer by way of electromagnetic energy.
Transfer of heat through or between solids that are in direct contact.
The measure of the rate of heat transfer to a surface.
What is the definition of Convection as per NFPA 921?
Heat transfer by way of electromagnetic energy.
Transfer of heat through or between solids that are in direct contact.
Heat transfer by circulation within a medium such as a gas or a liquid.
The measure of the rate of heat transfer to a surface.
What is the Heat Release Rate (HRR) according to the text?
The total amount of thermal energy that could be generated by the combustion reaction.
The total amount of heat released per unit time.
The measure of power or rate of work equal to one joule per second.
The weight of a given volume of pure vapor or gas compared to the weight of an equal volume of dry air.
What does a Specific Gravity less than 1 indicate?
A substance heavier than water.
A substance lighter than water.
A substance with the same density as water.
A substance that cannot be compared to water.
What is the definition of a Flammable Liquid according to the provided material?
Any liquid that can support combustion at any temperature.
Any liquid having a flash point below 100°F (37.8°C) and a vapor pressure not exceeding 40 psi.
A liquid that has a flash point above 200°F (93.3°C).
Any liquid that is used as a fuel in its natural form.
What does Vapor Pressure measure according to the text?
The pressure at which a liquid turns into a gas.
The temperature at which a liquid boils.
The tendency of a substance to evaporate and the pressure at which a vapor is in equilibrium with its liquid phase for a given temperature.
The pressure required to turn a solid into a liquid.
What is the Flash Point of a liquid?
The maximum temperature at which a liquid can be stored.
The minimum temperature at which a liquid gives off enough vapors to form an ignitable mixture with air near the liquid's surface.
The temperature at which a liquid starts to evaporate.
The boiling point of a liquid.
What is the Fire Point of a liquid fuel?
The temperature at which a liquid fuel can no longer burn.
The temperature at which a liquid fuel starts to burn continuously.
The temperature at which a liquid fuel produces sufficient vapors to support combustion once the fuel is ignited, and must exceed 5 seconds of burning duration during the test.
The temperature at which a liquid fuel can be safely extinguished.
What is the Upper Flammable (Explosive) Limit (UFL)?
The highest temperature at which a flammable gas or vapor will ignite.
The maximum concentration of a flammable gas or vapor in air that will ignite.
The minimum concentration of a flammable gas or vapor in air that will ignite.
The point at which a flammable liquid turns into a gas.
What is the Lower Flammable (Explosive) Limit (LFL)?
The lowest temperature at which a flammable gas or vapor will ignite.
The maximum concentration of a flammable gas or vapor in air that will ignite.
The minimum concentration of a flammable gas or vapor in air that will ignite.
The point at which a flammable liquid turns into a gas.
What is a Ventilation-Controlled fire?
A fire with unlimited ventilation where the heat release rate is maximized.
A fire with limited ventilation in which the heat release rate or growth is limited by the amount of oxygen available to the fire.
A fire that is controlled manually by firefighters using ventilation techniques.
A fire that occurs in a well-ventilated space, causing rapid spread.
What does the term "Ambient Conditions" refer to?
The specific weather conditions at the site of a fire.
The controlled atmospheric conditions within a fire compartment.
Common, prevailing, and uncontrolled atmospheric weather conditions.
The temperature and humidity levels inside a fire station.
What is the Incipient Stage of a fire?
The stage where the fire is fully developed and spreading to other compartments.
The stage where the fire has been extinguished and is no longer producing heat.
The first stage of the burning process in a compartment where the substance being oxidized is producing some heat, but has not spread to other substances nearby.
The stage where the fire is under control and the temperature within the compartment is significantly lower.
What is a Plume in the context of a fire?
A safety device used to extinguish fires.
A water stream used by firefighters.
The column of hot gases, flames, and smoke rising above a fire.
The layer of smoke that settles at the bottom of a fire compartment.
What is Thermal Layering?
The process of heating the layers of a fire-resistant material.
The distribution of fire extinguishing agents in layers.
The outcome of combustion in a confined space in which gases tend to form into layers, according to temperature.
The layering of protective gear on firefighters to protect against heat.
What is the Neutral Plane in fire dynamics?
The area where the temperature is the same throughout the compartment.
The level at a compartment opening where the difference in pressure exerted by expansion and buoyancy of hot smoke flowing out is equal to the inward pressure of cooler, ambient temperature air flowing in.
The plane where fire suppressants are most effective.
The boundary between the controlled and uncontrolled sections of a fire.
What is Flashover?
The moment when a fire is successfully extinguished.
A rapid transition from the growth stage to the fully developed stage of a fire.
The initial ignition of a fire in a new location.
A controlled burn used to prevent the spread of a larger fire.
What is Rollover in the context of fire behavior?
The complete extinguishment of a fire.
The rotation of firefighting teams during an incident.
A condition where the unburned fire gases that have accumulated at the top of a compartment ignite and flames propagate through the hot-gas layer or across the ceiling.
The collapse of a structure due to fire damage.
What is Backdraft?
The drafting of additional firefighters to a fire scene.
The explosive burning of heated gases that occurs when oxygen is introduced into a compartment that has a high concentration of flammable gases and a depleted supply of oxygen due to an existing fire.
The strategic retreat from a fire when conditions become too dangerous.
The use of fans to push smoke out of a burning building.
What is a Smoke Explosion?
The detonation of an explosive device in a smoke-filled area.
The rapid expansion of air within a fire hose.
Form of fire gas ignition; the ignition of accumulated flammable products of combustion and air that are within their flammable range.
The bursting of a window due to intense heat inside a fire compartment.
What is the purpose of Tactical Ventilation?
To increase the oxygen supply to a fire to burn it out more quickly.
To provide a safe escape route for firefighters.
Planned, systematic, and coordinated removal of heated air, smoke, gases or other airborne contaminants from a structure.
To create a backdraft situation for training purposes.
