Fire Education

In a previous post, we looked at the shadow of fire. After that I have been wondering what fire is actually made of? Today, we take a closer look.

What Is Fire Made Of?

Fire is the result of a chemical reaction called Combustion. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called ignition point, flames are produced. Flames consist primarily carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, and water vapour. In a candle flame (or small fire), most of the matter is hot gases as mentioned above.

A very hot flame however, may produce enough energy to ionize the individual gaseous atoms to form a state of matter called plasma. Examples of flames that contain plasma include those produced by plasma torches and the highly energetic chemical reactions (e.g., thermite reaction).

Apart form matter (gases and plasma), flame radiates energy in the form of heat and light. An interesting question further would be, “What Is the Weight of Fire?” Although, I would save it for some other time, I’m bored of fire! (P.S. Never thought I’d say that)