A fire piston—an impressive physics demonstration—ignites

Chapter 11, Problem 18CQ

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Problem 18CQ

A fire piston—an impressive physics demonstration—ignites a fire without matches. The operation is shown in Figure Q11.18 . A wad of cotton is placed at the bottom of a sealed syringe with a tight-fitting plunger. When the plunger is rapidly depressed, the air temperature in the syringe rises enough to ignite the cotton. Explain why the air temperature rises, and why the plunger must be pushed in very quickly.

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