Eli5 Given a high temperature, why do some things melts while other burn to ashes?
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Melting is a state transition from solid to liquid. All solids will undergo it at a certain temperature and pressure.
Burning is a chemical reaction. In air, this is a chemical reaction with oxygen, although there are other oxidisers. This ignition therefore requires both the presence of an oxidiser and sufficient surface area.
Not everything is reactive with an oxidiser. For example, water, ice, steam, *H2O*, doesn’t matter how hot you get it, it’s *already burned*. Specifically it’s the product of hydrogen combustion. Dihydrogen Monoxide.
So some things melt at lower temperatures than they burn, some don’t burn, some scenarios don’t have any oxidiser, and sometimes the surface are is insufficient for ignition.
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