Alan Alda poses question in new contest for scientists: What is time?

[Jim__]

9. Alan Alda's question, "What is a flame?", always fascinated me as a child.

I don't think I ever got an answer to it; and finally figured it out when I was in college. But, is there an answer that is comprehensible to a 6th grader to the question, "What is a flame?" Wikipedia, of course has a pretty good answer:

Color and temperature of a flame are dependent on the type of fuel involved in the combustion, as, for example, when a lighter is held to a candle. The applied heat causes the fuel molecules in the candle wax to vaporize. In this state they can then readily react with oxygen in the air, which gives off enough heat in the subsequent exothermic reaction to vaporize yet more fuel, thus sustaining a consistent flame. The high temperature of the flame causes the vaporized fuel molecules to decompose, forming various incomplete combustion products and free radicals, and these products then react with each other and with the oxidizer involved in the reaction. Sufficient energy in the flame will excite the electrons in some of the transient reaction intermediates such as CH and C2, which results in the emission of visible light as these substances release their excess energy (see spectrum below for an explanation of which specific radical species produce which specific colors). As the combustion temperature of a flame increases (if the flame contains small particles of unburnt carbon or other material), so does the average energy of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the flame (see Black body).

But is that comprehensible to a 6th grader? To a congress person?

Part of the responsibility is is with the scientist to be able to explain things in simple terms. But all adults, and especially congress people, also have a responsibility to be somewhat familiar with scientific concepts.