• Question: Is it possible to melt a wooden log?

    Asked by wario5000 to Aime, Akshat, Diana, Gemma, Judith on 23 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Gemma Sharp

      Gemma Sharp answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      No, wood can’t melt, it would burn before it got the chance. To make a fire you need a fuel, oxygen and heat. Wood contains a fuel (carbon), oxygen and hydrogen, so when you add the heat the wood will start to burn rather than melt.

    • Photo: Judith McCann

      Judith McCann answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      Ditto 😀

    • Photo: Akshat Rathi

      Akshat Rathi answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      Gemma is right. Wood doesn’t melt but burns in air even without being ignited if heated enough. What happens in the absence of air? It decomposes which is to say the bonds that hold the molecule together breakdown. 🙂

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