Editing Non-Burning Money (section)

== Why This Works ==

===Short Explanation===
Alcohols are extremely flammable, and burn very hot and very quickly. This is because alcohols are ''Volatile'', which means they easily turn into a vapor and mix into the air. This means that we have to be careful about having alcohol near a fire or anything really hot, because if not carefully watched it might ignite! With the Dollar bill/cloth, we had it soaked in a solution that was half alcohol and half water. The water did not stop the alcohol from burning, and it was able to ignite and start burning quickly. However, water has a high ''Heat Capacity'', meaning it can absorb a lot of heat before turning into steam. This means the water was able to absorb all the heat from the alcohol, and kept the dollar bill/cloth safe from the fire!

===Full Explanation===
Alcohols are organic compounds which readily combust when exposed to a heat source. Alcohols are highly ''Volatile'', meaning that they readily vaporize while at standard pressure and temperature. Alcohols also have a low ''Heat Capacity'', meaning that they can only absorb a small amount of heat before vaporizing or igniting. Alcohols such as ethanol readily decompose and release a large amount of energy when ignited:

{| class="wikitable" style="color:black; background-color:#ddd; text-align: left; margin-right: auto"
| Ethanol + 3 O<sub>2 (g)</sub>
(C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>5</sub>OH)
| '''→'''
| 2 CO<sub>2</sub> + 3 H<sub>2</sub>O + Heat
(1 mol ethanol = 12.3 MJ)
|}

One mole of ethanol is only 2.5 cups (0.58 l), and 12.3 MJ is equivalent to the kinetic energy of a flatbed tow truck moving 100 mph (160 km/h)! This fact, as well as the relative ease in igniting ethanol, is why it is now used as a fuel source. Water, unlike alcohols, is not very volatile and has a high heat capacity. The old proverb "A watched pot never boils" draws from the fact that water takes a while to get up to temperature. In fact, to get 2.5 cups of water from room temperature to heat up and vaporize, you would need about 15 MJ of heat energy, which is nearly 25% more than what an equal amount of ethanol can provide! This is what results in the dollar bill or cloth being unscathed and intact!

This demonstration also shows us a technique used in movies. When a stunt requires someone to be "burned alive", the stunt performer will wear a suit which either is padded with water-filled pockets or is heavily soaked in water. That way, when they are covered in the combustible material and ignited, the water will absorb the heat and keep them safe!