Is fire a solid, a liquid, or a gas? - Elizabeth Cox

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Let’s Begin…

Sitting around a campfire, you can feel its heat, smell the woody smoke, and hear it crackle. If you get too close, it burns your eyes and stings your nostrils. You could stare at the bright flames forever as they twist and flicker in endless incarnations… But what exactly are you looking at? Elizabeth Cox illuminates the science behind fire.


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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Elizabeth Cox
  • Director Héloïse Dorsan Rachet
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Designer Héloïse Dorsan Rachet
  • Art Director Héloïse Dorsan Rachet
  • Storyboard Artist Héloïse Dorsan Rachet
  • Illustrator Héloïse Dorsan Rachet
  • Character Designer Héloïse Dorsan Rachet
  • Layout Artist Héloïse Dorsan Rachet
  • Music Jarrett Farkas
  • Sound Designer Jarrett Farkas
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Fact-Checker Brian Gutierrez
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Learn more about fire and combustion. 

Flames behave very differently in outer space. Learn more about experiments with fire in space here, here, and here. 
1 Guided Discussion
11 Open Discussions
TED-Ed
Lesson Creator
New York, NY

Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Elizabeth Cox
  • Director Héloïse Dorsan Rachet
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Designer Héloïse Dorsan Rachet
  • Art Director Héloïse Dorsan Rachet
  • Storyboard Artist Héloïse Dorsan Rachet
  • Illustrator Héloïse Dorsan Rachet
  • Character Designer Héloïse Dorsan Rachet
  • Layout Artist Héloïse Dorsan Rachet
  • Music Jarrett Farkas
  • Sound Designer Jarrett Farkas
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Fact-Checker Brian Gutierrez

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