Ask Tappity: Science Questions for Kids > What Is Fire?
What Is Fire?
What exactly is fire? What’s it made of? Watch this video to find out, or read our explanation below!
Fire Is a Chemical Reaction
When you combine baking soda and vinegar, a chemical reaction occurs - the two ingredients you put together become something brand new. Fire is another chemical reaction, and it has 3 ingredients: heat, oxygen, and fuel. The fuel can be anything that burns, like firewood, or gasoline. Usually, the fuel is a type of material called a hydrocarbon, which just means it's made up of 2 elements: hydrogen and carbon.
Chemical Reactions Can Release Heat and Light
Some chemical reactions release light and heat. For example, breaking a glowstick mixes two chemicals to create a chemical reaction that gives off green light. Dissolving laundry detergent in water releases heat (try it! It’s only a little hot). Combustion is the chemical reaction taking place inside a fire, and it releases both heat and light.
Fire is a Chain Reaction
Starting a fire requires lots of heat. That heat breaks up the hydrogen and carbon atoms in the wood (or whatever fuel you’re using). The hydrogen molecules collide with oxygen molecules to form water (it’s true - fire makes water! You can see this by holding a spoon above a candle). That formation of water releases heat and light. And here’s the key - that heat then breaks apart even MORE fuel, causing MORE combustion reactions! Because heat is both and ingredient and a product, fire is a self-sustaining chain reaction that continues until you run out of fuel or oxygen.
Fire Facts for Kids
Got fire questions? We’ve got fire answers!
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Campfires are tricky, because most of the light isn’t actually from the combustion reaction - its from super hot soot particles floating in the air above the fire, heated up so hot that they glow orange and yellow.
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Flames are rising gases. There are a few gases in the air above a fire, like water vapor and carbon dioxide, as well as regular old air. All of that gas is hot, and it's rising. Normally, rising gas is hard to see - you might be able to see a slight shimmering in the air if there’s a lot of it. But you can see the gas in a flame because of all the light being produced by the heat and the combustion reaction.
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Fire has 3 ingredients: heat, oxygen, and fuel. Rolling on the ground cuts off the fire’s access to the air, so it doesn’t have oxygen to burn, putting the fire out.
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Water does a good job putting out fire because it takes away its oxygen and heat at the same time, by smothering it and cooling it down.
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Fire is a range of temperatures. A wood fire is typically around 2000 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Lava is hotter than a typical wood fire. Lava is molten rock, and melting rock over a campfire would be pretty hard. However, some fires can be much hotter, depending on what is burning.
More Answers to Chemistry Questions from Kids
How do fireworks work? Why can’t you drink sea water? The Tappity Chemistry Library has interactive lessons with answers to those questions and more!
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