• Question: if all things are an solid an liqued or an gas what is fire?

    Asked by 12parrk to Lyn, Katy, Paul, PB, Ruth on 20 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Paul Waines

      Paul Waines answered on 20 Jun 2013:

      Hi 12parrk- good question. Fire is not any of these- it’s both light and heat energy, which is released when something- be it a solid, liquid, or a gas- burns.

    • Photo: Ee Lyn Lim

      Ee Lyn Lim answered on 20 Jun 2013:

      Technically speaking, fire is closest to a gas. When fuel, like a piece of wood or candle wax, gets hot enough, it vaporises (turns into gas) and reacts with oxygen (i.e. it ‘burns’). Some of these gaseous particles get so hot that they decompose into unstable molecules – which are unstable because their electrons have too much energy. When the electrons in these molecules lose their excess energy, the energy is given off as light, and that’s what you see as fire – essentially extremely hot gas!

    • Photo: Katy Brown

      Katy Brown answered on 20 Jun 2013:

      I would say gas too, but its a hard one to call!

    • Photo: Peter Balfe

      Peter Balfe answered on 21 Jun 2013:

      Fire is a gas with a reaction going on in it, oxidation. This reaction is so exothermic (energy generating), that it can vaporise the fuel below and generate heat and light. As the oxidation finishes, the reaction slows so you get less energy and the reaction products drift away as smoke.

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