why does wood burn instead of melting like metal?
110024
haven't you seen magnesium burning. sodium burns, potassium burns.\n\nthese metals are very reactive metals owing to the valence electrons in their atoms. they are one electron short of stable octet structure (mg- 2 elec), and so they easily burn\n\nbut other metals are much stable and the oxides of those metals are formed at very high temp and long exposure time but not accompanied by emission of flames.\n\nwood is made of cellulose, which is organic in nature i.e carbon and hence burns to form carbon di oxide (chiefly present in smoke)
894465
Yes, what the others aswerers said is true, but if you really want interesting things to find out  you should look to the masonry drilling bits, because they work on totally different principle than normal drill bits (for wood, metal and so on).\n\nThe masonry doesn't behave like all other materials, meaning that's not plastic (it does not deform and remain deformed after that, but is a very little bit elastic), and also IS fragile , meaning that is cracking if the critical tension has been reached. Also is not homogeneous like other materials (actually is a composite material, made from pebbles, stones and cement in water).\nThat's why the drill bits for this kind of things act exactly like rotating chisel. It has an leading edge hat is acting axial (along the axis of the drilling bit) and the bit is made from the most strongest carbides (VC, TiC, WC, etc mixed with the metallic powder techniques).\nThat's only because a drill bit  made for wood/metal would be destroyed at the very first millimeters. \n\nIt's acting by hitting then rotating few degrees and then hitting again and so on (that's why I called it "rotating chisel" and its bit is acting along the axis of the drilling rod).\nThe metal/wood drilling bits are acting like knifes which are "shaving" the face of the material bit by bit, actually making a spiral (a continuous chip) with the chips no thicker than 1 millimeter, no matter the size of the drilling bits. In the same way the masonry drilling bits are not fitted to drill wood/metal.\n\nDfriend:)
488946
The length of any metal increases as the temperature rises. \n\nThe increase in length, for the same initial length is different for different metals for the same increase of temperature.\n\nIn bimetallic strips, two metals strips of same length are placed one over the other and are riveted at their ends.\n\nWhen these strips are heated, both strips increase in lengths but one increases more than the other.\n\nBut, as the ends are fixed, to accommodate the increase in length, both bend into arcs of a circle, the less increased strip form the  inner arc and the other form the outer arc.\n\nThis bimetallic strip is in contact with another strip and they are in series with the heating element of the iron. \n\nThis second strip can be depressed at will by means of a screw which can be operated externally.\n\nAs the temperature increases the bimetallic strip begins to bend but it is in contact with the second strip till a particular temperature reaches which is determined by the adjustment of the screw.\n\nWhen that temperature is reached the second strip ceases its contact with the bimetallic strip.
474892
Fire is not a chemical, so there is no chemical symbol to represent it. However, numerous things burn, and these can be adequately described by a reaction. For example, wood is primarily cellulose: \n(C6H12O6)n + O2 --> H20 + C02 + heat + light\nPS. The above reaction is unbalanced. This is what happens when wood is burned - it turns into water and carbon dioxide. Note that "normal" fire only happens in the presence of oxygen. I say "normal" because there are other types of fire that don't involve oxygen.\nWe don't see any water because it evaporates from the heat of the fire as soon as it is formed. \nThe heat given off is the heat of the fire (obviously). \nThe light produced is what you see as fire.
196912
d iron it is heated very hot and it melt
974021
Metals burn with different colors..... check out this web site for more details on exact information.  \n\nhttp://www.science-education.org/classroom_activities/chlorine_compound/metal_chloride.html
146566
A flame is a mixture of gases undergoing a chemical reaction that gives off enough heat to continue the reaction in the molecules that have not yet reacted.  We get the impression that solids (like wood) burn, but it's really mainly the gases coming off of them that burn.  That's why it's easier to start a hot piece of wood on fire than a cold piece of wood.  The initial piece has to be hot enough so that the flamable products escape from it in vapor form.
1047027
Simple really...the H has already burned!  That's what formed the water.\n\nBurning is a chemical reaction...basically elements recombine w/ other elements.  The water is the end result of the burning, and cannot burn further.
3136
Wood crackles because as it burns or oxidizes rapidly pockets of gas produce a small explosion when they burn. The explosions aren't big enough to do anything but they are also why occasionally small pieces of wood fly off a burning log.
232646
Fire is oxidation of a material at a fast rate. The aluminum foil you put in the stove getx a coat of aluminum oxide on it and then goes no further as a gas oven is not hot enough to "burn" aluminum. Aluminum can be burned if one gets the temperature hot enough. This is called the thermite reaction and happens when finely divided aluminum, such as shavings is mixed with iron oxide (rust) and the mixture set afire with a fuse perhaps made from thin strips of magnesium metal. The iron oxide or rust becomes iron metal again and the aluminum becomes aluminum oxide or alumina. The heat is intense enough to melt iron.Such reactions are used in industry to perform welding. It is all quite dangerous and a person not familiar with the laws of chemistry may become blinded by the light of the reactions involved or harmed by server burns. Do not try this at home.
95862
it gets hot, which in turn causes more resistance, and it gets even hotter, which causes more resistance.  if there are enough amps, the metal will melt.
201797
The electrons jump to a higher level and then back to a lower level emitting a photon. This vibration (up one level, down one level) produces radiation below light frequencies also. If enough energy is added and enough electrons are jumping around the metalic bonding is broken and the iron melts.
1085438
You have forgotten the elements of fire. You need fuel, heat and oxygen. Too much oxygen or air like blowing on a candle doesn't allow for heat to burn the fuel, in this case the wick of a candle. It takes time for combustion to happen in the case of a candle since it's so small. You can't say the same for a forest fire or a building on fire. But dowsing it with water like a fire hose will eventually prevent combustion from happening.
1014247
there are different tempuratures to melt gold and copper,for instance gold is a softer metal and it will melt before the copper.say the temp for melting gold is 1000 degrees,and copper is 1200 degrees,the gold will melt first.
223614
copper and aluminum are best electricity conductors. I would say lead, since it's one of the densiest material out there. Heat is caused by vibrating atoms, denser material means the atoms are closer, and it's melting point is low too. As soon as you touch it with a hot soldering iron, the heat transfers right away and melts it.
377534
errr, grind metals to a fine powder and mix them together and press them and you can get alloys physically impossible to make by forging.\n\numm, grind metal very fine so the oxidise and use them to make metal fires, such as "thermalite" for welding traintracks.
499302
melting physical\nrusting chemical\nburning chemical