Important Question and Answers
Q. Name the three things to make fire?
Ans. The three things needed to start a fire are fuel, oxygen and heat.
Q. What is the religious significance of fire?
Ans. Fire is worshipped in many parts of the world.
Q. Name some fuels.
Ans. Wood, coal, cooking gas and petrol are examples of fuel.
Q. In modern construction of buildings why gaps are left between buildings?
Ans. Gaps are left between buildings during construction to reduce the risk of fire.
Q. How do the firefighters put out fires?
Ans. The firefighters work with special equipment, like a fire engine, a hose spraying water, and fire extinguishers to put out fires. They are also known as fire brigades and are highly-trained, and skilled people knowing first aid as well.
Q. Define fuel. How does it cause fire?
Ans. Fuel is anything that can be burnt and turned into ashes. A fuel contains carbon and hydrogen and when they combine with oxygen, they together cause fire.
Q. How are gas and water useful in putting out fire?
Ans. A gas, mainly carbon dioxide, is used in putting out a fire because it does not allow oxygen to reach the burning material. The use of water on any normal fire, brings down its temperature below the flash point of that fuel. Thus, gas and water are used to put out a fire.
Q. In what sense is fire a ‘bad master’?
Ans. Fire is a bad master because it destroys thousands of homes and shops, destroys large areas of forest land. When a fire breaks out, hundreds of people are left injured or are even killed.
Q. How is fire created? What was the man’s first experience of fire?
Ans. When oxygen is combined with carbon and hydrogen, fire is created, i.e., it is the result of a chemical reaction. Man’s first experience of fire must have been volcanoes and lightning.
Q. ‘A lighted match is helpful in creating fire.’ How?
Ans. To turn into fire, the fuel needs heat and air. Heat is supplied by the lighted match. Air is easily available. Thus, a light match is considered helpful in creating fire.
Q. How was fire put out long ago?
Ans. In the olden days there were no firemen or fire fighters. When a fire used to break out, everyone became a firefighter. They formed chains. They fetched and passed buckets of water from a well or pond to the blaze to put out the fire.
Q. Why a newspaper or stock lying in the open does not catch fire on its own?
Ans. A fuel in presence of oxygen alone can’t start burning. Heat is required for a fuel to catch fire. That is the reason why a newspaper or stick lying in the open doesn’t catch fire.
Q. Discovery of fire has helped the mankind, how?
Ans. Discovery of fire has helped the early man to cope with nature. It also helped him to adopt to a settled mode of life.
Q. How fire is a good servant?
Ans. Fire is a good servant. When kept under control fire helps us do many things. In most of our houses we cook food on fire. We use fire to keep us warm during winter. It is also used in generating electricity.
Q. How have we learnt to control fire?
Ans. Every years we spend millions of rupees for fighting fires. We spend even large sum of money to find out ways to prevent fire from happening and going out of control. In the process we have learnt to control fire and use it for our own betterment.
Q. How has the story of fire changed from time to time?
Ans. Early man was ignorant about the existence of fire. He ate raw flesh, vegetables and fruits. Fire was invented in the Stone Age by rubbing two stones with each other. Since then man started cooking, boiling and roasting on fire. The people worshipped fire as deity. Those days lightning and volcanoes produced fire and frightened man. The destructive nature of fire caused awe and fear in the human heart. In the advanced ages of science, fire is known as the result of a chemical reaction. It occurs at the fuel’s flash point. The combination of oxygen, carbon and hydrogen with the fuel results in the release of energy (heat). Heat and light is known as fire. It is a good servant of man.