Question

Air, containing oxygen, is present all around us. We know that oxygen supports burning. So logically, in the presence of oxygen, even a small fire should burn down everything.

• A. True
• B. False

Answer 1

The correct option is B False

It is true that air around us contains oxygen which supports burning. However, it also contains nitrogen which doesn't support burning. Moreover, there is 78% of nitrogen and only 20% oxygen in the atmospheric air. So, even quantity wise nitrogen dominates and doesn't allow excessive burning. Of course, in the absence of nitrogen, oxygen would have dominated and everything would have been destroyed by a small fire.