Why is fire hot?
For grown-ups: the science
When fire burns, the moving air and bright light around it carry heat, and that's why it feels hot.
In combustion, a chemical reaction between fuel and oxygen releases energy as moving gas particles, soot, light, and infrared radiation. Near a fire, you feel heat through convection (hot air rising), radiation (heat traveling from flames or embers), and conduction (heat passing into anything it touches). For safety, always approach fire together with a grown-up and never touch it.
What about...?
Ask your child's own questionTranscript
When you get close to a fire, why does it feel so warm on your skin?
When fire burns, tiny bits inside the air start zooming around super fast. All that fast zooming makes everything nearby feel warm.
The warm air rises up, up, up into the sky. That's why the space right above a fire feels the hottest.
Fire also sends out bright light along with its warmth. That light carries heat far away, warming things even at a distance.
Fire warms things up with fast-moving air and bright light.
