A spark, a flint: How fire leapt to life

What was fire initially seen as by early humans?

• A divine gift

• A tool created by humans

• A natural disaster

• A source of destruction

How did early humans likely maintain fire before they could create it?

• By keeping slow-burning logs alight

• By using flint and steel

• By focusing sunlight with lenses

• By using matches

What was one of the earliest methods humans used to make fire?

• Friction from rubbing wood together

• Striking stones together

• Using phosphorus

• Chemical reactions

What did the Ancient Greeks use to light fires?

• Lenses or concave mirrors

• Wooden drills

• Phosphorus-tipped splints

• Flint and steel

What discovery made percussion fire-lighting more efficient?

• The discovery of iron

• The discovery of quartz

• The invention of lenses

• The invention of book matches

What element played a key role in the development of modern matches?

• Phosphorus

• Sulfur

• Iron

• Carbon

What issue did match-makers face when using white phosphorus?

• It was highly toxic

• It didn’t ignite easily

• It was too expensive to use

• It couldn’t be stored safely

What did Swedish chemist Pasch discover that improved match safety?

• Non-toxic red phosphorus

• A better method for striking flint

• Waterproof matches

• An anti-after-glow solution

What innovation made book matches popular in the US?

• Advertising on matchbooks

• The invention of strike-anywhere matches

• The use of phosphorus

• The introduction of waterproof matches

What American company pioneered book matches?

• The Diamond Match Company

• The Firestarter Corporation

• The Phoenix Matchworks

• The Spark Company