• Question: why do you get burned when you touch fire

    Asked by doctor barbosa to Ajay, Kate, Kuntal, Pip, Reka on 11 Nov 2016.
    • Photo: Reka Nagy

      Reka Nagy answered on 11 Nov 2016:

      Because fire is hot!

      Candles are made of fat and they burn quite well. Paper is made out of cellulose, a type of sugar.

      Our bodies are made of the same stuff – fats and sugars, among other things. When fire comes into contact with these, it starts a process called combustion that breaks down these materials with the help of oxygen.

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