Why does fire need oxygen to burn?
Fire's Dance Partner
Why does fire need oxygen to burn?
Strike a match and watch the little flame leap up, eager and bright. It looks alive — hungry, even. And in a funny way, it is hungry, because fire is always eating something. The question is: eating what?
Fire isn't a thing so much as an event. It's what happens when fuel — wood, wax, paper — gets hot enough to start tearing apart and rearranging itself. That rearranging releases heat and light, which we see as flame. But fuel can't do this dance alone. It needs a partner.
