Match Stick Combustion
Watch a match ignite and burn in detailed simulation. Strike the match to see sparks fly, the phosphorus head catch fire, and a realistic flame flicker and consume the wooden stick. Track the combustion chemistry in real time as oxygen is consumed and carbon dioxide and water vapor are produced. Adjust wind, match head size, and wood moisture to shape the burn.
KClO₃ → KCl + 3/2 O₂ C + O₂ → CO₂ + ΔH T(t) = Tpeak · e−λt
Match chemistry
A safety match head contains potassium chlorate (KClO₃) as the oxidizer, sulfur and antimony trisulfide as fuels, powdered glass for friction, and a binder. The striking strip on the box contains red phosphorus. When you strike the match, friction converts a tiny amount of red phosphorus to white phosphorus, which ignites at just 34°C. This ignites the antimony trisulfide, which decomposes the potassium chlorate, releasing oxygen and producing enough heat to ignite the wooden stick.
Flame structure
The hottest part of a flame is just above the combustion zone, reaching about 1000°C for a match. The inner core glows white-hot where combustion is most intense. Surrounding this is a yellow zone where soot particles (carbon) incandesce. The outer edges cool to orange, red, and finally invisible infrared. The wispy tips are unburned gases and smoke particles.
Charring and burn rate
As the match burns, the wood undergoes pyrolysis — thermal decomposition releasing volatile gases that feed the flame. The charred remains are mostly carbon. Wood with higher moisture content burns more slowly because energy must first evaporate the water before pyrolysis can begin. This is why damp matches are hard to light.
Wind effects
Wind tilts the flame and increases the rate of oxygen supply, which can intensify combustion up to a point. Strong wind, however, can cool the flame below ignition temperature and blow it out. In this simulation, moderate wind increases flickering and flame lean, while extreme wind extinguishes the match.