Fat-pan fires and the conditions for combustion

A large fire rising from a black flying pan on a kitchen stove

Source: © Shutterstock

Use this demonstration to illustrate the conditions required to start combustion, and how to put out a pan fire safely. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

In this experiment, students observe as cooking oil in a crucible catches fire over a Bunsen burner, simulating a fat-pan or chip-pan catching fire in a kitchen. 

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