What is Fire?

DISCLAIMER:

PLEASE do not do anything mentioned in this post. Well, I guess 90% of the stuff here isn’t something a student can get. Still, do not attempt anything in this post. I don’t want to be seeing “Student Burns Local Park Down” in the news, got it? Good.

Fire is Pretty Fire

Fire is a pretty cool thing. So cool that we use it as slang to call something else cool. I think most people can agree on that unless you have pyrophobia or something. It looks cool and it feels nice. Well, unless you get a bit too close to it. As a kid, fire was always pretty mesmerizing. Just lighting a fire at night and watching it wave around in the air was always pretty cool. Even cooler was starting your own fire with a magnifying glass. Until the fire spread to those dry leaves on the side. Wait, are those leaves connected to that pile of dead sticks? And that’s how you start a forest fire. The coolest thing, however? Getting your hands on some sawdust, put it in a spray bottle, and holding a lighter in front of it. The result? You can breathe fire. It’s epic. If you ignore the times when flaming sawdust flies into your eyes ad nearly blinds you. By now you should know that fire is pretty dangerous. But fire is also fire. So that cancels out the danger. Sort of? Whatever. But what is fire?

It’s Weird

Fire is pretty weird. It isn’t any of the 3 basic states of matter. It isn’t a liquid, a gas, or a solid. It requires fuel to exist. Without it, it goes out. It turns most organic things into carbon dioxide. But it is actually a state of matter. Fire is the 4th, lesser-known state of matter called plasma. Now, how is it created?

The Creation Process

Fire needs 3 things to ignite. Heat, oxygen, and fuel. Without oxygen, fire cannot start. Without heat, fire will not start. Without fuel, the fire cannot stay. Simple, right? In nerdy terms, it is the rapid oxidization of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. The fire starts at a certain heat, called the combustion point.

What is it made of?

This part is easy. Fire consists primarily of carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxygen and nitrogen. But it can be made of other materials as well, and different materials change the intensity and color of the flames. Flames have a heat scale, where the hotter flames have a different color. In the order of hottest to coldest (or warmest) Blue, white, yellow, orange, and finally, red. Do know that just because red is the “coldest” flame, it does not mean it is safe to touch. The “coldest” red flame is around 900-1000 degrees Fahrenheit. That is more than enough to burn you. But did you know flames can be very different colors because of its fuel. Organic materials like wood usually burn according to the heat scale I mentioned above, but when chemicals are burned, things change.

Epic Flames and Stuff

Here is a chart of different colors of flames and their corresponding chemicals. The names may seem scary, but don’t worry many of these chemicals are present in commercial products. All you have to do is search it up. But maybe don’t try and light a green flame in your bedroom. Choose a smart place, like on your driveway or in your garage. I recommend turning off all your lights before lighting the flame, especially the white flame. Makes it much easier to see.

The Bad

Flames are VERY dangerous. Not just because they are very hot. That is a major reason, of course. But I would say the biggest reason why it is so dangerous is its reactions with other chemicals. For example, all you need is some alcohol and you got an invisible fire that nobody can see. Not to mention burning many household chemicals can result in dangerous fumes. Most of these fumes will do things such as permanently scar your lungs, poison you, and knock you out. So be careful with flames, and don’t burn anything you aren’t sure is safe.

Fun Fact

This is actually a hint of my next article. You know salt, right? Sodium Chloride. Tasty stuff. We use it every day. But do you know what happens when you remove the Chlorine? I’m sure many of you know this, but sodium in its base form is a metal. Pure sodium metal is very soft. At room temp, it can be cut with a butter knife. It is also extremely reactive. When it touches water, it creates hydrogen. Now, as a non-chemistry nerd, that may not mean much to you. So, in normie terms, when sodium metal touches water, it rapidly combusts. Still not good enough? Sodium metal essentially becomes a grenade when it touches water. Don’t worry, the most dangerous thing about the reaction is damage your eardrums. The explosion is pretty much harmless compared to other explosions. But you know what it is? Epic. It looks super cool. Naturally, I will be writing an article about it soon, so stay tuned, I guess.

Sources: How to Make Colored Fire at Home

P.S. yo this didn’t really fit in up there but did you know that with some styrofoam and some undisclosed chemical that is not very difficult to get you can get something that is one step away from napalm? i obviously wont be mentioning the chemical as that is stupid but thats just a fun fact. the only thing chemistry does for you is make you realize how dangerous a rogue chemist is.