what am I doing wrong?
I just can't seem to get this smoking thing down.
I bought a "pack of cigs" I guess they are disposables since you get 20 of them....they all seem to be in the same flavor and strength....they all seem to be doa.
I take one out of the packaging and try to take some hits off of them but nothing ever happens....
Ahhh - you didn't get a book of matches did you? Don't feel too stupid, it's a common newbie error. I know having to get a
book to smoke makes it sound complicated, but it's nothing compared to Ohm's Law.
Combustion or burning is the sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and conversion of chemical species. The release of heat can produce light in the form of either glowing or a flame. Fuels of interest often include organic compounds (especially hydrocarbons) in the gas, liquid or solid phase.
In a complete combustion reaction, a compound reacts with an oxidizing element, such as oxygen or fluorine, and the products are compounds of each element in the fuel with the oxidizing element. For example:
CH
4 + 2 O
2 → CO
2 + 2 H2O + energy
Assuming perfect combustion conditions, such as complete combustion under adiabatic conditions (i.e., no heat loss or gain), the adiabatic combustion temperature can be determined. The formula that yields this temperature is based on the first law of thermodynamics and takes note of the fact that the heat of combustion is used entirely for heating the fuel, the combustion air or oxygen, and the combustion product gases.
See how simple it is? Now you just have to decide if you want a book of paper matches (old school, but tried and true), a box of wooden matches (they burn longer and allow some degree of control over the power level), or a lighter (which is the usual choice of more advanced smokers, but really isn't difficult once you learn how to use the thingy).
Smoke On!