Eli5 Why do some things burn faster than other things
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Why wouldn’t they?
You need three things for a fire: Fuel (something that can react with oxygen*), oxygen*, and enough energy to start a reaction. How much energy you need depends on the fuel. How much energy the reaction releases also depends on the fuel. That released energy can trigger the reaction elsewhere and keep the fire going. Typically a material that needs less energy to start the reaction and releases more energy during the reaction will burn faster. Accessibility is another factor: The oxygen needs to reach the material to react with it. For a fine powder that’s much easier than for a solid block of something.
You get the fastest reactions if you add chemicals that can easily release oxygen*, so you don’t need oxygen from the air any more. That’s how explosives work.
*doesn’t *have to be* oxygen but this is ELI5
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