Why is fire hot?
Fire is hot because burning lets out energy stored inside wood.
Pip’s answer
- Fire is hot because burning lets out energy stored inside wood.
- Wood and air join together and change, and that change makes heat and light.
- The heat makes tiny bits in the air jiggle fast and rise up high.
- Ooh, a campfire glows with sunshine energy that a tree saved up! Only grown-ups make fires.
For grown-ups
Fire is a chemical reaction called combustion. Fuel like wood combines with oxygen, releasing energy as heat and light. The energy in wood originally came from sunlight captured by the tree through photosynthesis. Fires should only ever be made and handled by grown-ups.
Ask your child: What three things do you think a fire needs to keep burning?
More questions kids ask
- ☀️Why is the sun so hot?
- 🍳Why do we cook food?
- 🍲Why does hot soup get cold?
- 🍎Why do things fall down?
- 🧲Why do magnets stick?
- 🫧Why are bubbles round?
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