If a match is placed on top of a pool of gasoline, the gasoline catches on fire. However, if you spray the gasoline into a fine mist and add heat, it explodes. Explain this phenomenon.

Explanation:

From basic knowledge of chemistry, the rate of chemical reaction is proportional to the exposed surface area.

Combustion of the gasoline is a chemical reaction and obeys this law like all other chemical reaction.

In a pool of gasoline, the exposed surface area is limited to the surface above the pool and hence the chemical reaction (combustion) is moderate.

When the gasoline is sprayed into fine mist (atomized), the exposed surface area is greatly maximized allowed more surface area to be involved in the reaction. This increases the rate of the reaction and hence the reaction becomes so spontaneous that it combusts very rapidly and explodes.

This atomization of gas is used in fuel combustion in the internal combustion engine.

in 1783 cavendish was working with his hydrogen gas and found that when he burned it and condensed the vapor it was water. this was very significant since it disproved the greek theory of elements completely since water was not a simple substance but the product of two gases. it was lavoisier who hearing of the experiment gave cavendish's gas the name hydrogen ("water-producer") and added that hydrogen burned by combining with oxygen and that water was a hydrogen-oxygen combination.

explanation:

a:

by the combination of an unlimited number of elements