G6_Chemical Reactions-Approaching-04

Now imagine if all the oxygen that a chemical reaction needed could be contained within the fuel. There would be no need to bring in oxygen from the outside air. The chemical reaction could be even faster than the reaction that occurs inside a dragster. It would also release a lot more energy. This is what happens in a rocket! A rocket differs from an engine. Rocket fuel contains all the oxygen needed for chemical reaction to take place.

Rockets are used in places where engines cannot function, such as in outer space where there is no oxygen. They can also be used high up in the atmosphere where there is limited oxygen supply. Chuck Yeager was to the first person to break the sound barrier in 1947. He was flying the Bell X-1 rocket plane. What a thrill it must have been to cruise along with a powerful rocket sitting directly behind him. For certain, he must have felt safe as he was also sitting on another explosive device.

You may have heard of an ejection seat in planes. Do you know how they work? It is different from an airbag that deploys to provide padding to keep you safe. An ejection seat keeps a pilot safe by launching him upward and clear of the plane. Even if the plane is out of control and a crash is eminent, the pilot can pull the ejection seat lever. The device is actually a small rocket that launches the plane’s seat upward out of the cockpit.

This chemical reaction is so violent that a pilot will lose one inch of height due to the sudden acceleration. It is perhaps one of the last things a pilot wants to experience. Certainly, it is better than the alternative of being in the plane if it crashes.

Cars can be fast, dragsters even faster because the rate of the chemical reaction speeds up and the amount of energy released increases. Chuck Yeager was able to fly faster than the speed of sound. Astronauts go even faster. Believe it or not, astronauts that orbit Earth are going really fast. Just to get into orbit requires a speed of 18,000 mph.

So the next time you get into a car, think about those tiny explosions that are happening under the hood. Also think about the one explosive chemical reaction that is ready, just in case, to keep you safe. Not all explosions are bad. Many provide us the ability to go fast and also to stay safe. We can thank the hard work of engineers and scientists. They work to control these chemical reactions and use the power of chemical reactions to make our lives better.