High School

Which statement about flash points is correct?

A. The lower the flash point, the greater the hazard.
B. The higher the flash point, the greater the hazard.
C. The flash point is the same as the auto-ignition temperature.
D. Flash points are unrelated to the severity of the hazard.

Answer :

Final answer:

The correct answer is 'The lower the flash point, the greater the hazard.' Flash points indicate the temperature at which a substance can emit flammable vapors, and therefore lower flash points correlate with higher hazards.

Explanation:

The correct statement about flash points is: a. The lower the flash point, the greater the hazard. A flash point is the lowest temperature at which a liquid can form an ignitable mixture with air near the surface of the liquid. Therefore, the lower the flash point, the easier it is for the liquid to create a flammable vapor and thus it becomes more hazardous. For example, according to the NFPA 704 Hazard Identification System, substances with flash points below 73°F are rated as a 4, which means they pose an extreme hazard. This because they can easily ignite at lower temperatures. Liquids with higher flash points are considered less hazardous as they require significantly higher temperatures to ignite.