What the Hell is... Fire?

What the Hell Is Fire

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Ask someone what fire is, and they may struggle for an answer. Its attributes we know, hot and bright. But what is fire at its most intimate of explanations?

Fire is best described as rapid oxidation.

Fire is like rust, but rust happens as quickly as it can react with a fuel.

Fire is when a "fuel" reacts with oxygen. It undergoes combustion, releasing heat and light in the process. This rapid chemical reaction is what we see as fire. It is the result of a material burning due to rapid oxidation.

And the magnificent colors of fire—from the soft-glow of a candle, to a roaring fireplace, to detonating dynamite—are determined by the temperature, with cooler flames appearing red and hotter flames appearing blue or white.

Prometheus could have just waited for a lightning-caused forest fire and sifted through the coals. No need to bother the Gods...

I mean some claim we no longer believe in Zeus—because we KNOW what causes lightning... so? What the hell is it?

Lightning is a discharge of energy between two contact points, like the flash you see in static charge writ large. The energy manifests as heat, sound, and light.

Moral is: if a tree falls in the forest, because an electrical discharge caused its rapid oxidation, does it make a sound? Absolutely.

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