Burning iron

Would you have thought that even iron could be made to burn with a flame!

Twist some fine steel wool round a small piece of wood and hold it in a candle flame. The metal begins to blaze and scatter sparks like a sparkler.

The oxidation, which was slow in the previous experiment, is rapid in this case. The iron combines with the oxygen in the air to form iron oxide. The temperature thus produced is higher than the melting point of iron. Because of the falling red-hot particles of iron it is advisable to carry out the experiment in a basin.