Combustion Products of Cellulose Nitrate

Cellulose and how it burns

Activity 3: Combustion Products of Cellulose Nitrate

Now we know that you've been observant (you have been - right?), so we have a few questions for you to answer.
(You can always go back and look at things again if you want to.)

1. What did you list as the combustion products after observing the initial combustion of cellulose? What observations or prior knowledge led to these conclusions?
2. How do the observations of combustion products from Cellulose Nitrate differ from those of cellulose? What are some of the possible Cellulose Nitrate combustion products that you would not expect to produced by the combustion of cellulose? Why?
3. Based on the elements found in Cellulose Nitrate, what might some of the products be?

Hints:

• What elements are present in Cellulose Nitrate that aren't in cellulose? If you don't remember, the structure of Cellulose Nitrate is here.
• Think about pictures that you have seen of L.A. on a "sunny(?)" day.

Are you ready for a

?

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