Extinguishing a match by shaking? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board # Extinguishing a match by shaking? malaka June 26, 2003, 8:22pm 1 Stupid question: Why does shaking a match put it out? If you move a match slowly, nothing happens. But it you shake it violently, it will extinguish. By shaking it aren’t you simply increasing the flow of oxygen to the fire? What about forest fires? Do high winds spread or kill the fire? Q.E.D June 26, 2003, 8:26pm 2 I suspect that by shaking the match vigorously enough, you are actually cooling the matchhead faster than combustion can heat it, and once the temperature passes below the ignition temperature, combustion ceases. Trinopus June 26, 2003, 8:27pm 3 A match or candle flame is not a “point source,” but involves different areas of different effects. You’ve got the fuel – the match-stick, and the path of the air, drawn up from below, and the different areas of different temperatures. When you shake it, you disrupt these patterns, breaking them up, and destroying the process. I think that a really good stiff wind could snuff out a grass fire burning in very short grass. Alas, once you get up to forest fires in dry pine