Science Storms: Fire
It's quite a reaction
Fire is a chemical reaction that has fascinated humans for millennia. Get up close to fire to investigate how fuel, oxygen and heat combine to create a flame. Test virtual sources of combustion to see what common and unusual substances can be used to power cars and rockets. Use the “flame test” to create colorful fireworks with chemicals that burn in vibrant colors. And learn how fires in nature can sometimes be helpful and sometimes harmful, and what tools we use to manage them.
Fire and water
The spectacle and science of indoor lightning is provided by the 20-foot Tesla Coil suspended overhead. Observe from reclined benches as the coil puts on a 1.5-million-volt show of electrical discharge, with arcs jumping up to 10 feet from the center coil to the grounding rings. Explore the properties of electrical charge and magnetism as you learn how the Tesla coil builds up and releases such massive amounts of energy.
Fire colors
In this digital interactive, you can design and explode virtual fireworks. Elements and compounds emit different colors of light when they are heated. Using a "flame test," or heating various compounds in an open flame, you can identify the chemical composition of materials... and design colorful fireworks displays.
Explore more of Science Storms
Wonder is all natural
Plan your visit to observe and experiment with seven natural phenomena.