Fire Triangle

The fire triangle or combustion triangle is a simple model for understanding the necessary ingredients for most fires.

The triangle illustrates the three elements a fire needs to ignite: heat, fuel, and an oxidizing agent (usually oxygen). A fire naturally occurs when the elements are present and combined in the right mixture, meaning that fire is actually an event rather than a "thing". A fire can be prevented or extinguished by removing any one of the elements in the fire triangle. For example, covering a fire with a fire blanket removes the "oxygen" part of the triangle and can extinguish a fire.

A few days ago, we reviewed carbon formation and mining but in our latest gathering, we explored carbon burning by controlling the amount of oxygen by using varying sized containers as an oxygen trap. Measuring the time it took for the flame to extinguish inside different sized containers helped the kids develop theories on why the flame would eventually extinguish itself. After some experimentation, they concluded that in order to keep the flame alive, oxygen is a necessary component. At our next meeting we will discuss this process in more detail, shifting our little scientists focus from elements to gas structures and molecules. Fun!