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» home » 2024 High School Physics Photo Contest Gallery » Jason Cai

Lighting the Torch

Jason Cai

Award: Honors Writing

School: san lorenzo high school
Teacher: jeovanny marticion
Category: Contrived
Photo #14490

Lighting the Torch

In the image,  it shows a match that is currently on fire. Matches could be used for anything whether you are camping or you need to light something on fire. There are so many purposes of the match and are a very important tool in case you need help. As seen in the picture the match has been lit already but what was the cause of its lighting? In a box of matches you are given a lot of matches and on the side of that box is red phosphorus. Once you pull out one of the matches in the box you will see that at the end of one of the matches,  there is a different color tip. On the tip of the match,  it includes antimony trisulfide as fuel for the match and potassium chlorate which makes the fuel burn and light. But for it to start a fire you will need to apply friction to the matches by holding it on one end and then swiping it across the red phosphorus tape on the side of the matchbox. It might take a couple of tries before it lights but afterward,  you will see the red phosphorus and antimony trisulfide collide from the friction creating a chemical spark between them making thermal energy. The image depicted shows that the physics concept behind my image is the use of friction from the match and the red phosphorus on the matchbox which creates chemical energy causing a spark-making thermal energy.

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