Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I want to know how to light a tile floor on fire safely. Should I use a low temperature burning chemical like alcohol? Also, if I put alcohol in a spray bottle and spray it on top of a flame, it would light on fire right? And if it did, when the alcohol fluid hit the ground, with hit the ground (grass) on fire? Thanks!

Tile floors, if they are made of ceramic, don't light on fire. So unless you already have alcohol on the floor, you won't get a flame. The fire will go out as soon as all the alcohol is used up in the combustion reaction. However, I would not advise lighting a fire indoors. And yes, if flaming alcohol hits the ground, the grass will light on fire. Therefore, you should only perform this experiment in either a fireplace or firepit. You can easily build your own firepit if you do not have one: http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoo ... d-fire-pit

I don't know if this answers your question, so feel free to ask me to clarify. It would also help if you explain what sort of experiment you are conducting.

-Karen Zhang

Hi explosionsandfunstuff,

I want to emphasize that what you are asking about is *very dangerous*. You could get very, very badly burned, you could injure other people, and you could start a severe fire. DO NOT do such a thing without first clearing it with your parents, teacher, and scientific review committee. DO NOT perform the test you are talking about without direct, qualified supervision (e.g., fire department). I would advise you to avoid this project entirely! It's not safe.