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saraho | 13:54 Tue 05th Jul 2005 | Science
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why do blow on a match to put the fire out, but blow on a fire to make it burn?
  
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I think this is because fire requires three things to continue to burn: a fuel source, oxygen and a heat source. By blowing vigorously on the match you cool it and remove the heat source thereby extinguishing it. Blowing on a fire does not extinguish it because the fire is too large, it does, however, add more oxygen and so makes it burn more.

I suppose that if you could blow on a fire strongly enough, you could put the fire out...
The wind has got to be in proportion with the fire.

Blowing on a match puts it out because exhaled breath contains more carbon dioxide.  This is what puts flames out.

 

Don't think blowing on fires makes them burn - if you FAN them they burn better, as this gives them more oxygen.

 

Did you never do the thing at school with splints?  Put a lit one in CO2 and it goes out, put a glowing one in O2 and it lights!

See you at the institute on wednesday.....
Why dont you try an experiment saraho hold the match and dont blow, then stick your head in a fire and dont blow that way you have a base line to work from. Tell us how your test went then we can go to the next step which will be stick tha match up your a#s# and see what the difference in gases do. Then try the fire.

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