FLAME 



2202 



FLAMINGO 



closely, we notice three distinct parts. First, 

 there is the dark central cone (a) around the 

 wick (see illustration), composed of gas or vapor 

 that is not burning and cannot 

 burn because entirely shielded 

 from the air and not yet at a high 

 enough temperature. The tech- 

 nical name for this inner portion 

 is the area oj no combustion. 

 Surrounding this inner cone is a 

 bright white envelope (b) called 

 the area of partial combustion. 

 This section of the flame is made 

 up of carbon particles, freed from 

 the gas by the high temperature 

 and raised to white heat so that 

 they give forth a bright radiance. 

 It is this part, generally consid- 

 ered the true flame, that is re- ter. 

 sponsible for almost all the light. The yellow- 

 ish outer envelope (c) is known as the area 

 of complete combustion, for here there is a 

 plentiful supply of the oxygen needed for the 

 combustion process. While this is the very 

 hottest part of the flame, it gives almost no 

 light, because as fast as the carbon atoms 

 ascend into it they are consumed and changed 

 into carbon dioxide and invisible water vapor. 



What Makes a Flame Hot. The heat of a 

 flame depends upon the rapidity and com- 

 pleteness of combustion, and it is oxygen that 

 is essential for combustion. It follows, then, 

 that if an extra supply of air can be mixed 

 with the gas before it reaches the point where 

 it is to be burned, more intense heat will result. 

 That is why a blacksmith uses a bellows on 

 his forge fire; why fireplaces and furnaces have 

 draft-making chimneys; why the gas range 

 and the Bunsen burner of the laboratory 

 both devices for supplying strong heat are 

 made with openings to admit air (see BUNSEN 

 BURNER). Looking closely at the kitchen gas- 

 stove, we find that the gas is blown from a 

 little nozzle into a rather large pipe. There 

 are air openings back of the gas nozzle, and 

 what is consumed in the burner is therefore 

 a mixture of gas and air. 



Why a Flame Smokes. Smoke results from 

 imperfect combustion; in other words, if there 

 is not enough oxygen to feed it properly the 

 flame will smoke. When the blacksmith is 

 not using his fire it burns low, smoldering and 

 smoking; when he needs it he applies the 

 bellows, the flames leap up, the smoke dis- 

 appears, and the fire gives forth the strong 

 heat he requires for his purposes. In the 



modern oil lamp the glass chimney, resting 

 upon a perforated bottom, permits a good 

 circulation of air about the flame. If these 

 perforations are allowed to become clogged 

 with dirt or oil, a smoky flame and a poor 

 light will result. 



What Makes a Flame Luminous. The 

 brightness of a flame, as is evident from the 

 explanation of its structure, depends upon the 

 number of solid particles suspended in it, 

 throwing off light as they become highly 

 heated. When gas manufacturers want to give 

 additional brilliance to illuminating gas, they 

 "enrich" it by the artificial introduction of 

 other carbon gases. The luminosity of a flame 

 is also affected by temperature. If the gas and 

 the air are heated before being admitted to 

 the burner, the flame will be correspondingly 

 brighter. 



Why Flame Ascends. A flame always 

 ascends, not only because it is the natural 

 tendency of hot gas and air to rise because of 

 its lightness, but also because the flame creates 

 its own draft. Immediately over it is a col- 

 umn of heated air; as this air rises, the cold 

 air rushes in from all around to take its place. 

 This is heated in turn, and there results a con- 

 tinuous flow of air to the flame and around 

 it, creating a little wind or air current that 

 blows the flame upward. If for any reason we 

 want to send the flame in some other direction, 

 we must supply an artificial draft. L.M.B. 



FLAMEN, fla'men, in the ancient Roman 

 religion the name applied to a sacrificial priest 

 who was consecrated to the service of some 

 special divinity. Originally, there were three: 

 Flamen Dialis, priest of Jupiter, Flamen Mar- 

 tialis, priest of Mars, and Flamen Quirinalis, 

 priest of Romulus. These constituted the 

 Majores, and were always chosen from the 

 patrician class; later twelve were appointed 

 from the plebeians, and these were called the 

 Minores. The flamines held office for life, but 

 were subject to removal for neglect of duty. 

 They were prohibited from leaving the city, 

 from mounting or touching a horse, from touch- 

 ing a dead body and from numerous other acts 

 which were supposed to contaminate them. 



FLAMINGO , fla ming ' go, an odd-looking, 

 beautifully-colored, webb-footed water bird. 

 With its gooselike body, long legs and long, 

 slender neck, it stands from five to six feet 

 high. The bill is big, naked and bent abruptly 

 down, as if broken in the middle. The plum- 

 age, for which it has been sought and from 

 which it takes its name, is usually deep ver- 



