Instant fire from steel wool & a battery

LaPaz Farm did a great survival experiment on how to start a fire instantly MacGyver style.  Click here to see her web page and to watch it burn!

They are doing a really fun Harry Potter unit.  Check out their other Hogwart learnings.  Cool!

Why does steel wool catch fire when you touch a 9 volt battery on it?

Short answer:

When you touch a thin wire across a 9-volt battery, charges inside the wire flow fast. The flowing charges heat the wire because of a type of electrical friction. It can get white hot and catch on fire. This is an excellent way to start a campfire if you have no matches. But remember, it drains energy from your 9-volt battery, and you can only start a few fires before the battery stops working.

Click here for the long, more detailed answer.

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