Science Question: How does a fire die?
There is something about watching a fire that is mesmerising. Fire looks like it is alive. In this experiment, you will record the life span of the fire.
Supplies needed: Matches, non-flammable surface, small dry twigs and a glass cup.
The Experiment:
Warning: Have an adult present for this and be sure to pick a safe location, we suggest your driveway.
Watch your parent light a match. Put the lit match down on the driveway and watch what happens. The fire will go out relatively quickly. Next, light another match and hold it up to one end of a twig. Once the twig is lit, watch for a minute and then take the cup and cover the twig. What happens?
The outcome: When the cup is covered by the twig, the fire goes out.
Why it worked: For a fire to burn, it needs several elements – fuel, oxygen and energy or heat. If you take away one of these elements. A fire will extinguish or go out. In this experiment, the twigs are the fuel. With no fuel (like the match), the fire went out. Oxygen is in the air that we breathe; when we covered the flame with the cup it took away the oxygen and the fire went out.
Carbon is in all organic materials, or in other words, in things that were one time living. As the fire burns, it leaves behind the carbon as ash and possibly a piece of charcoal.
Source: The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments by Rachel Miller. Holly Homer and Jamie Harrington.