Unutterably Silly Quiz

[Shayne Parkinson]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

friction?

So succinct, so very appropriate.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

friction?

Originally Posted by Shayne Parkinson

So succinct, so very appropriate.

Being a gentleman, I'll assume Sneaky's answer to be about the fire starting rather than the sidebar comments...

And to wit... yes, friction is 'causing' the 'heating,' but WHAT is being heated and thrown off as 'spark?' What ARE sparks?


Stitchawl

[SneakySnake]

tiny broken bits of flint?

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

tiny broken bits of flint?

No... but you're close...


Stitchawl

[Stitchawl]

Did I kill off the quiz?


Stitchawl

[poohbear_nc]

Apparently so.

Perhaps a hint to jump start?

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

And to wit... yes, friction is 'causing' the 'heating,' but WHAT is being heated and thrown off as 'spark?' What ARE sparks?

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

tiny broken bits of flint?

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

No... but you're close...

Some 'thing' has to be burning, and it's not the stone...



Stitchawl

[PeterT]

(I had no idea so went and googled it. Fascinating!)

[SneakySnake]

the air around the tiny bits of stone?

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

the air around the tiny bits of stone?

'fire' (spark) requires three elements to occur;
oxygen (air)
heat (friction)
Fuel ( ?)

If the flint (rock) isn't burning, what is the fuel?

Come on, guys. When there are only TWO elements involved, and one of them is the flint rock and IT isn't burning, there really isn't much left, is there?

Let's have a "Bic & Zippo" Appreciation Day, cuz you guys would be eating a LOT of raw meat if we didn't have 'em!



Stitchawl

[SneakySnake]

does the flint give off flamable gas when it breaks?

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

does the flint give off flamable gas when it breaks?

Nope... nothing as vaporous as that! The fuel that is burning is quite solid and rather hard! The sharp edge of the flint serves to shear off that which is heated up by friction (caused by the cut) to burn.

My original question was about using noviculite as the sharp edge (rather than flint) and a piece of iron pyrite. Here in the spoiler is the answer to the question.It's a YouTube vid using a steel striker rather than iron pyrite, but iron pyrite works almost as well and was the originally used item before the Iron Age came around. The exact answer is at 3:27

Spoiler:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNn0RRi1Ni8

I've got to leave so Sneaky... how about you or Pooh giving another question.

Stitchawl

[WT Sharpe]

"Punk"?

[SneakySnake]

tiny little bits of noviculite then! *hands on hips*

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

"Punk"?

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

tiny little bits of noviculite then! *hands on hips*

How can I make this easier?
I've already said: "there are two elements involved. Two; the rock and the iron/steel. And it's not the rock."

Then Tom called me a punk. And you keep saying it's the rock....

I've already posted the Youtube video with an exact time where the answer is stated, but I'll try again... (Think about this one, guys... Cavemen could handle the answer.)

O.K. In one hand you have a rock (either flint, noviculite, agate, or any other Chalcedony-type of stone. [quartz would work if it had a sharp enough edge.])
In your other hand you have either iron pyrite or a piece of iron/steel.
Using a sharp edge of the stone, and a fast motion to cause friction (heat,) you slice off "SOMETHING" that heats up and glows... the spark.
Now... if you only have two items, and one of them is the rock causing the slicing and the friction... what is in your other hand that is heating up and glowing?

{Extra hint - take two pieces of paper and write the words "Stone" on one and "Iron/Steel" on the other. Now, hold one in each hand. Remember, the correct answer is NOT "Stone."}

{Extra EXTRA hint - 2 minus 1 = ? }


Stitchawl