Which is an example of a flammable liquid?

Which is an example of a flammable liquid?

• A. Gasoline
• B. Water
• C. Sodium Chloride
• D. Ethanol

Answer: (A)

Flammable liquids ignite easily because they have a low flash point and produce vapors that can form ignitable mixtures with air. Gasoline is a quintessential example: its flash point is well below typical room temperatures, and its vapors rapidly mix with air to create a fire hazard even without the liquid being hot. That makes gasoline dramatically more likely to ignite in everyday conditions. In contrast, water and sodium chloride do not burn, while ethanol is flammable too, but its ignition risk under the same conditions is not as high as gasoline’s.

Flammable liquids ignite easily because they have a low flash point and produce vapors that can form ignitable mixtures with air. Gasoline is a quintessential example: its flash point is well below typical room temperatures, and its vapors rapidly mix with air to create a fire hazard even without the liquid being hot. That makes gasoline dramatically more likely to ignite in everyday conditions. In contrast, water and sodium chloride do not burn, while ethanol is flammable too, but its ignition risk under the same conditions is not as high as gasoline’s.