Combustion, process of rapid oxidation or burning of a substance with simultaneous evolution of heat and, usually, light. In the case of common fuels, the process is one of chemical combination with atmospheric oxygen to produce as the principal products carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and water, together with products such as sulfur dioxide that may be generated by the minor constituents of the fuel (see Chemical Reaction). The term combustion, however, also embraces oxidation in the broad chemical sense, and the oxidizing agent may be nitric acid, certain perchlorates, or even chlorine or fluorine. See separate articles on most of the fuels and chemicals mentioned in this article.
Matter is composed of atoms or groups of atoms called molecules. The arrangement of particles in a material depends on the physical state of the substance. In a solid, particles form a compact structure that resists flow. Particles in a liquid have more energy than those in a solid. They can flow past one another, but they remain close. Particles in a gas have the most energy. They move rapidly and are separated from one another by relatively large distances.
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