Help me solve this mystery

Lazare

Why do cigarettes burn to the end when left alone when spliffs and cigars conveniently extinguish themselves?

Different substances are being burnt?

Abi

Lazare wrote: »

Why do cigarettes burn to the end when left alone when spliffs and cigars conveniently extinguish themselves?

The randomness of the question has led me to believe that you are currently spliffing, non? ;o

Run_to_da_hills

Cigarettes are precision rolled and contain chemicals that assist them to burn right to the end. Loose tobacco dose not contain much of these same chemicals.

Rolling a joint is an art, I know several mates that can roll a decent joint from a fag that will burn to the end if its left down. Its also down to the paper and technique of rolling, some skins are pure sh*te.

Lazare

Myth wrote: »

Different substances are being burnt?

Ok for the cigar, but the Jimmy Cliff is mostly tobacco.

Rb

Joints and cigars are generally rolled tighter than smokes, the actual paper cigarettes are rolled in is slightly more flammable than skins too and the roach/filter are two totally different substances, one being a relatively thick piece of cardboard and the other being dyed paper with cotten wool.

That's my theory anyway.

Lazare

mmmm, good points to ponder.

Thrill

Lazare wrote: »

Why do cigarettes burn to the end when left alone ...

Some day that may be a thing of the past.

http://www.nbc4.com/news/10671845/detail.html

Lazare

Thrill wrote: »

Some day that may be a thing of the past.

http://www.nbc4.com/news/10671845/detail.html

That's pretty cool, although I'd imagine all those little paper 'stoppers' will decrease the strenght of the cigarette. Lighter sales will go through the roof too.

Wishbone Ash

If you look closely at a manufactured cigarette you will see faint lines, i.e. circles around the paper. These contain a substance which keeps the cigarette from going out. Cigars and rollups don't have them.

rossie1977

cigarettes contain potassium nitrate an ingredient used to make gunpowder

Wibbs

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Cigarettes are precision rolled and contain chemicals that assist them to burn right to the end. Loose tobacco dose not contain much of these same chemicals.

+1 Ciggies have saltpetre among other things to make them burn consistently. Not all ciggies mind. Those organic ones don't burn to the end.

Theresalwaysone

Lazare hasnt replied in a while. Prob gone for some food.

Thrill

Or a smoke.

Lazare

Theresalwaysone wrote: »

Lazare hasnt replied in a while. Prob gone for some food.

20 mins cleaning choc chip cookie crumbs out of the keyboard ftw.

FunkZ

Thrill wrote: »

Or a smoke.

I'll be going for a smoke soon

ScumLord

I'd be having a smoke now if I wheren't stuck out in the arse end of nowhere.

Cigarettes are designed to burn out. I smoke rollies and that never happens.

the_syco

Most cigarette tobacco will burn until it's finished, whereas rollie tobacco will extinguish itself due to lack of chemicals.

There are one or two brands of cigarettes that don't have the chemicals that make them burn to the butt, though.

more tea vicar

Moisture content?

reregholdsworth

I knew a doctor who would always toast cigarettes when preparing his smoking mix. He said it was to remove the potassium nitrate and other chemicals which were added to make the cigarettes smoke more evenly.

White smoke was seen to wisp from the cigarette each time.

Who would have thought that white smoke could be more unhealthy than black smoke.

He is a doctor so that is incontrovertible.

Sherifu

Enjoy your lung cancer.

reregholdsworth

reregholdsworth wrote: »

Who would have thought that white smoke could be more unhealthy than black smoke.

Damn it, I knew the pope was in on this all along.

reregholdsworth

Myth wrote: »

Damn it, I knew the pope was in on this all along.

I think the pope may be an unwitting abettor in this conspiracy.
From what I've heard this one goes all the way to the top.

(but you didn't hear that from me)

Earthhorse

Eh, shouldn't that stuff that helps cigarettes burn down to the end be removed, as a safety issue like? You know, old grandad's falling asleep in his chair, a half finished cigarette hanging limply between his fingers, five hours later that argument over cremation vs. burial seems irrelevant.

chuci

this is making me want to smoke

Nichololas

Earthhorse wrote: »

Eh, shouldn't that stuff that helps cigarettes burn down to the end be removed, as a safety issue like? You know, old grandad's falling asleep in his chair, a half finished cigarette hanging limply between his fingers, five hours later that argument over cremation vs. burial seems irrelevant.

Cigarettes that keep burning like that are already illegal in California, and I think the article someone posted on the last page (didn't click it) was about the EU bringing in similar laws to ban those kinds of cigarettes.

Joe Cool

Didn't know about the chemicals to keep the tobacco burning.

Always figured it was to do with cigarettes being loosely packed with tobacco and that when people roll their own they tend to either roll them too tightly or use too much tobacco reducing the amount of oxygen in the cigarette itself, causing it to go out.

:cool:

the_syco

Joe Cool wrote: »

Didn't know about the chemicals to keep the tobacco burning.

Always figured it was to do with cigarettes being loosely packed with tobacco and that when people roll their own they tend to either roll them too tightly or use too much tobacco reducing the amount of oxygen in the cigarette itself, causing it to go out.

:cool:

Actually, I think it's that as well as paper used, as I was smoking cigarette tobacco which was rolled inside rollie papers, and it went out every so often, if I wasn't smoking it. Furthermore, there is a cigarette coming out which has lines of paper that won't light as easy as normal paper, to prevent it causing a fire if dropped (as it'll "put itself out").

Quite odd.