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From: eric@chronon.UUCP (Eric Black)
Newsgroups: net.sci
Subject: Re: Lemon Peel Phenomenon
Message-ID: <195@chronon.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Mar-86 14:11:01 EST
Article-I.D.: chronon.195
Posted: Wed Mar 26 14:11:01 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Mar-86 07:50:36 EST
References: <53000001@gypsy.UUCP>
Organization: Chronon Computer Corp., Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 32

>My friend took a slice of lemon (a wedge) and cut away the pulp or meat of
>the lemon leaving only the rind.  He then lit a match and proceded to
>squeeze the rind at the match.  To my surprise, the match flame flared up as
>if the rind squeezing was giving off some type of flammable gas.  He did
>this about three or four times with each time causing the flame to flair up
>a noticeable amount.  That was all the rind was good for and then nothing
>furthered happended.   It was quite surprising since you don't think of a
>lemon as being flamable in any way, shape or form.  My friend also told me
>that this works the same way with oranges and I might guess other citrus
>fruits as well.  It is important to note that this had nothing to do with
>the juice of the lemon and was caused only by the peel itself (or so it
>seemed).
>
>Someone care to take guess as to what is going on here?  I'm going to be
>puzzled until I get a more scientific explaination.  Thanks.
>
>----------------
>| Steve Rosen
>| Siemens Research and Technology Laboratories
>| Princeton, NJ


Lemon (and other citrus) OIL, as obtained by squeezing the peel, is
flammable.

-- 
Eric Black   "Garbage In, Gospel Out"
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