Can Greek fire burn underwater?

A second view, based on the fact that Greek fire was inextinguishable by water (some sources suggest that water intensified the flames) suggested that its destructive power was the result of the explosive reaction between water and quicklime.

Greek fire was a weapon used by the Byzantine Empire in naval warfare. It was effective as it continued to burn on water.

How did Greek fire burn underwater?

A second view, based on the fact that Greek fire was inextinguishable by water (some sources suggest that water intensified the flames) suggested that its destructive power was the result of the explosive reaction between water and quicklime.

Can water put out Greek fire?

It was invented during the reign of Constantine IV Pogonatus (668–685) by Callinicus of Heliopolis, a Greek-speaking Jewish refugee who had fled the Arab conquest of Syria. The substance could be thrown in pots or discharged from tubes; it apparently caught fire spontaneously and could not be extinguished with water.

What kind of fire can burn underwater?

But there are kinds of combustion which work underwater. Probably the best-known is magnesium. You can light a strip of magnesium, and the combustion actually produces oxygen, which is then used to sustain the combustion. The magnesium is consumed a bit at a time.

What was special about Greek fire?

Developed in the Byzantine empire of the seventh century, Greek fire was a devastating weapon capable of being fired through tubes like a flamethrower, or hurled grenade-style in pots. It stuck to and burned everything, and couldn’t be doused by water, making it especially useful in naval battles.

Woman Panics During Livestream When She Starts Kitchen Fire

Is Greek Fire just napalm?

Most modern scholars suspect that Greek Fire was based on a crude or refined type of petroleum—perhaps naphtha, which could easily be found in natural wells around the Black Sea. When mixed with some unknown combination of other ingredients, it makes Greek Fire nothing less than the medieval equivalent of napalm bombs.

Can we make Greek Fire today?

Although the recipe for the true Greek fire, the superweapon used by the Byzantines typically in their naval engagamenets has been lost and therefore cannot be reproduced, Byzantine sources recorded in hand painted images its color. The ingredients used for its manufacture were known only to the Byzantines.

Is it possible for fire to burn on water?

Water is made of hydrogen and oxygen, so it contains both elements that fire needs. However, water is not flammable because the hydrogen and oxygen are already bonded together and cannot react with oxygen any further. Water is actually the end product of burning hydrogen in oxygen.

What are the two types of fire that Cannot be used by water?

Water cannot be used to extinguish electrical fires or fires involving inflammable liquids. Water being a good conductor of electricity will cause greater damage in these cases.

Why fire can’t burn water?

A water molecule contains an atom of oxygen and two atoms of hydrogen. It is a completely oxidized substance and thus cannot be oxidized further. Hence water does not burn. Water smothers the fire by creating a barrier between the source of oxygen and the fuel.

What stops Greek fire?

It’s not clear how it was ignited, but quicklime was probably used, mixed with the main ingredients at the last moment. Once lit, the substance was very difficult to extinguish needing sand or vinegar to do so. The mixture was packed into siphons, which were mounted in the bows of galleys.

What is the closest thing to Greek fire?

Overview. Greek Fire (also known as Byzantine Fire) was the ancient precursor to the modern Napalm and was first used in battles in the late seventh century.

How powerful is Greek fire?

The experiment used crude oil mixed with wood resins, and achieved a flame temperature of over 1,000 °C (1,830 °F) and an effective range of up to 15 meters (49 ft).

Is napalm a war crime?

International law does not specifically prohibit the use of napalm or other incendiaries against military targets, but use against civilian populations was banned by the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) in 1980.

Why can’t we make Greek fire?

Primarily because we don’t know what it was made of. That is not to say we can’t make good approximations of Greek fire. We know several components of Greek fire, it certainly contained tar and other materials and we can create mixtures that are both flammable and sticky that way.

What is the difference between Greek fire and napalm?

Most modern scholars suspect that Greek Fire was based on a crude or refined type of petroleum—perhaps naphtha, which could easily be found in natural wells around the Black Sea. When mixed with some unknown combination of other ingredients, it makes Greek Fire nothing less than the medieval equivalent of napalm bombs.

What fire gets worse with water?

Water does not extinguish Class B fires and can spread the flammable liquid, making it worse. Class C fires involve electricity, and they can be started in old wiring, frayed cords, or faulty appliances.

What is a Class C fire?

Class C fires involve electrical equipment, such as appliances, wiring, circuit breakers and outlets. Never use water to extinguish class C fires – the risk of electrical shock is far too great! Class C extinguishers do not have a numerical rating. The C classification means the extinguishing agent is non-conductive.

What kind of fire can water not put out?

Never use water to extinguish flammable liquid fires. Water is extremely ineffective at extinguishing this type of fire, and you may, in fact, spread the fire if you try to use water on it. Never use water to extinguish an electrical fire.

Is it possible to burn milk?

Many people enjoy having their coffee with hot milk, but not many people know that heating up your milk beyond 65° Celsius will burn the milk and leave it very thin with a burnt taste. It’s really important to be mindful about how much you’re heating up your milk for this reason.

Can there be fire in space?

Fires can’t start in space itself because there is no oxygen – or indeed anything else – in a vacuum. Yet inside the confines of spacecraft, and freed from gravity, flames behave in strange and beautiful ways. They burn at cooler temperatures, in unfamiliar shapes and are powered by unusual chemistry.

Is water burnt hydrogen?

Hydrogen is flammable, but oxygen is not. … When hydrogen combines with oxygen the result is water, where the atoms of hydrogen and oxygen are linked together to make a molecule with entirely different properties. You can’t burn pure water, which is why we use it to put out fires instead of starting them.

How bad are the Greek fires?

Approximately 222,577 hectares (almost 2 per cent of Greece’s total land) have been destroyed by wildfires since the beginning of 2023, according to the European Forest Fire Observatory.

How do we know Greek fire is real?

The evidence is primarily the sheer number of sources that describe Greek fire being used, and crediting it with creating tactical victories or defeats depending on its deployment, often with contemporary historians from both sides of the conflict agreeing on essential details.

Is Greek fire a flamethrower?

Developed in the Byzantine empire of the seventh century, Greek fire was a devastating weapon capable of being fired through tubes like a flamethrower, or hurled grenade-style in pots. It stuck to and burned everything, and couldn’t be doused by water, making it especially useful in naval battles.

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