The older I get the less I like cold weather. However, there are some things about the cold that are fun. One of my favorites is making a fire and letting the boys roast and eat marshmallows. The relish with which they eat a toasty marshmallow is a lot of fun to witness.
Now, here's where I need your help. Its always fun to sacrifice a marshmallow just to watch it burn up. Have you ever noticed that it flames up and burns quickly for a few seconds and then there is a little bit of it that stays on the coat hanger and burns for like an hour or something? Why is that?
My hypothesis is that there is a lot of air whipped into those things and the oxygen makes for quick combustion. Once the oxygen is gone you are left with just sugar or starch that takes longer to burn. That's what I think but I really don't know. So if any of you out there understand this phenomenon I'd really like to get your answer. Thanks!
BTW, yes I do have better things to do with my time than wonder about incinerating marshmallows, but being an underachiever I really don't care.
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