Fire From Batteries and Steel Wool
We will demonstrate how to use electricity to make heat and sparks. Then
harness the sparks to create a fire. The project is easy and definitely fun to see.
A regular 9 volt battery and extra fine steel wool are all we need for this
experiment.
Materials:
- Thin / Very Fine Steel Wool - 0000 Works Best (Home Depot or Lowe's).
- 9 volt battery
- Baking pan
What to Do:
1) With adult supervision, pull the steel wool pad apart until it's the size of a
tennis ball.
2) Then stretch the pad into thin strips that all inter-connect.
3) Place the steel wool in the baking pan.
4) Turn off the lights.
5) Touch the ends of the battery to the steel wool.
Watch Video
The Science
The threads in the steel wool are made of iron. These iron threads are
surrounded by pockets of oxygen unlike a solid block of iron. That causes it to
combust or burn very easily. The electricity from battery makes a complete
circuit when it touches the steel wool. The electricity moves like a fluid and
flows through the iron threads generating heat along the way. The heat creates
sparks.
Other Facts
These days the Boy Scout manual instructs Scouts to start a fire with a steel
wool pads and a 9-volt battery rather than the traditional method of starting a
fire with flint and steel. To accomplish this, they do not string the wool threads
out as we did in the experiment above. But instead leave it in a ball. When the
electricity flows through the ball, it will form a red hot amber in the middle. That
amber can be transferred to a small pile of dry leaves, grass, and kindle to start
the fire. After placing the amber on the dry kindle pile, you need to blow on it
(pumping in oxygen to get the material to ignite into a fire).
Warning: Do not start fires without adult supervision
harness the sparks to create a fire. The project is easy and definitely fun to see.
A regular 9 volt battery and extra fine steel wool are all we need for this
experiment.
Materials:
- Thin / Very Fine Steel Wool - 0000 Works Best (Home Depot or Lowe's).
- 9 volt battery
- Baking pan
What to Do:
1) With adult supervision, pull the steel wool pad apart until it's the size of a
tennis ball.
2) Then stretch the pad into thin strips that all inter-connect.
3) Place the steel wool in the baking pan.
4) Turn off the lights.
5) Touch the ends of the battery to the steel wool.
Watch Video
The Science
The threads in the steel wool are made of iron. These iron threads are
surrounded by pockets of oxygen unlike a solid block of iron. That causes it to
combust or burn very easily. The electricity from battery makes a complete
circuit when it touches the steel wool. The electricity moves like a fluid and
flows through the iron threads generating heat along the way. The heat creates
sparks.
Other Facts
These days the Boy Scout manual instructs Scouts to start a fire with a steel
wool pads and a 9-volt battery rather than the traditional method of starting a
fire with flint and steel. To accomplish this, they do not string the wool threads
out as we did in the experiment above. But instead leave it in a ball. When the
electricity flows through the ball, it will form a red hot amber in the middle. That
amber can be transferred to a small pile of dry leaves, grass, and kindle to start
the fire. After placing the amber on the dry kindle pile, you need to blow on it
(pumping in oxygen to get the material to ignite into a fire).
Warning: Do not start fires without adult supervision
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