Does Smoke Truly Follow Beauty? Science Explains

TL;DR

Smoke blows in your face because the rising air from the fire is pushed by the surrounding air, and your presence creates a vacuum that directs the air towards you.

Transcript

Thanks to Brilliant for supporting  this episode of SciShow. To take your STEM skills to the next level, go to Brilliant.org/SciShow for 20%  off an annual premium subscription! [♪ INTRO] Imagine: You’re having a good time  around a fire when out of nowhere, the smoke blows straight into your face. Naturally, you just get up,  you move to get out o... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥵 Smoke is produced when compounds in wood don't burn completely due to insufficient heat or oxygen.
• 😮 Rising hot air from a fire is less dense than the surrounding air, causing it to rise.
• 👱 Your presence creates a vacuum that directs the air towards you, carrying the smoke with it.
• 🇵🇳 Smokeless fire pits reduce or eliminate smoke by providing additional paths for incoming air.
• 😘 When huddling with others, the combined vacuum created by their presence increases the airflow directed towards them, resulting in more smoke blowing in their faces.
• 😘 Having everyone spaced out equally around a fire reduces the strength of individual vacuums, resulting in a more evenly distributed airflow and less smoke blowing in anyone's face.
• 👱 Less-dense air rises because it weighs less than the surrounding air, and gravity pulls it down less than the air around it pushes it up.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why does smoke blow in your face when sitting around a fire?

Smoke blows in your face because the rising hot air from the fire is pushed by the surrounding air, and your presence creates a vacuum that directs the air towards you, carrying the smoke with it.

Q: How can smokeless fire pits reduce or eliminate smoke?

Smokeless fire pits create additional paths for incoming air, ensuring that there is enough oxygen for complete combustion, reducing or eliminating smoke production.

Q: Why does less-dense air rise?

Less-dense air rises because it weighs less than the surrounding air, and gravity pulls it down less than the air around it pushes it up.

Q: Why do people huddle in one place when smoke blows in their face?

When smoke blows in their face, people huddle in one place because the vacuum created by their presence blocks the airflow behind them, allowing the air coming from the fire to move freely towards them.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Smoke is produced when compounds in wood don't burn completely due to insufficient heat or oxygen.

• Rising hot air from the fire is less dense than the surrounding air, causing it to rise.

• Your presence creates a vacuum that directs the air towards you, carrying the smoke with it.