How to Walk on Coals and Not Get Burned
In How to Walk on Coals and Not Get Burned, host Greg Foot explores the chemical reactions that create fire, and the qualities of fire when it comes into contact with water that make it possible to walk across coals and not get burned. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Secrets of Everything, in which daredevil science geek Greg Foot is ready to try anything to get the answers to life’s weirdest questions.
Advisory: Contains behavior which could be imitated.Lesson Express
Q: What do you need to create fire? What impacts how fast and well the fire burns?
A: You need fuel, heat, and oxygen. The more oxygen, the bigger the flame.
Q: What happens when a balloon filled with water is held over a flame?
A: The cool water absorbs the heat from the flame so the balloon does not break as fast.
Q: How does Greg Foot walk across hot coals?
A: Because of his water content, he needed to step at one second per step to avoid getting burned.
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