Is a flame living or non living?

Answer 1

Though the molecules in fire behave the same way as in a living being, it's only 'matter'. It needs presence of 'mind' to feel and to be alive. Fire isn't alive.

but not everything needs a mind to work does a plant have a mind and still is considered alive

The answer "yes" or "no" to this question depends upon definitions of "alive" and "life". If one takes "alive" to mean "possessing life", then no, fire can under no circumstances be "alive" in that life is an organic phenomenon comprised of goal-directed, self-interest action.

If one, however, takes "alive" to mean "having spirit or vigor", then in a manner of speaking, yes, a roaring fire can be "alive."

Be careful about the terms you use to ask a philosophical question; not all questions are necessarily metaphysical, but are sometimes linguistic mistakes.

The Seven Traits of Life

Sensitivity and reactivity to the environment and Capacity for adaptionFire reacts to changes in it's environment. it moves when wind blows, it changes color when it's fuel is changed. it burns in spheres in zero gravity.

Ingestion of substance for energy to functionFire externally (sort of) ingests fuel, and uses it to survive. went he fuel runs out, the fire 'starves' and goes away.

Reproductionfire can move from one fuel source to another via wind or heat transfer, you end up with two flames instead of one.

Respirationfire uses oxygen in it's reactions, and therefore respires.

Emission of wastesfire gives off water and ash as it's products in most cases.

Internal Movementever watch a fire burn? it certainly has internal movement.

Cellular Structurenope

so it depends how you look at itFire is not living. It is a chemical process that gives off heat and light.

Answer 2

Is a flame alive?

It all depends on your definition of alive. If you consider alive as in it needs fuel and air to thrive then yes it is but then you are adding things as well but still if you think that then yes it is. But if you consider life to have DNA, then no.

Answer 3

All fire is considered alive if it is burning.

This depends on your definition of 'alive'.

If you take alive to mean that it absorbs food to grow, air to breathe, has a limited lifespan, can reproduce, and adapts to its envirorment, then fire could be concidered alive.

If you take alive to mean that it's made of DNA, then, no, fire is not alive

A flame is actually not alive. Today in science our teacher asked us that and I tthought it was but it isn't. For something to be alive it must be able to reproduce, have cells. be "organized", grow and form. It must be able to do ALL of those things

the characteristics of life are grreecc

G-grows and develops

R-reproduces

R-responds

E-uses energy

E-excretes wast

C-uses chemicals

C-has cells

a flame has all of these things. a flame is alive

In order for something to be alive it has to be a living thing. For something to be a living thing it must have 1 or more cells. It must have DNA. It must be able to respond and sense to change or stimuli. It must be able to reproduce, use energy, and grow and develop. A flame does all of those things except the 1 or more cells and DNA. A flame is not a living thing. It is not alive.

Answer 4

Fire is sometimes, through metaphor, compared to life, but in reality, no. While it is true that fire, like biological life, is a chemical reaction, or series of reactions. However, fire is a simple combustion reaction: a fuel (such as carbon, nitrogen, or hydrogen) combines with oxygen in an exothermic (heat-releasing) reaction. If enough heat is released by the reaction, it will cause more fuel, if any is present, to combine with oxygen, continuing the process. Life, on the other hand, is significantly more complex, based on organic molecules such as proteins and amino acids, and conforming to a set of characteristics. Life must metabolize nutrients, adapt, and grow. These characteristics may be manifested in a number of ways, but they are shared by all known forms of biological life. While philosophy might be able to produce, via extensive musing, a justification for referring to fire as alive, fire is no more alive than an automobile, or a house.

Answer 5

A flame is not a living thing. It is a chemical reaction, and chemical reactions are not alive. Likewise, an explosion caused by two chemicals (that create a chemical reaction when they are mixed) - the explosion is not alive.

Answer 6

What does it not do that makes it a form of energy and non living? There are two things

1. It does not metabolize. It does not take in nutreints and convert them into its own structure.

2. It does not have mass. It is energy and not matter.Living things have mass.

So it is non-living

I disagree.

A flame does metabolize - fuel and oxygen - very much like an animal does.

A flame does have mass, although not very much and with a very quick over-turn.

It does reproduce (much to the frustration of the fire department ).

It does use a catalyst - heat energy, it helps convert fuel into more heat energy.

Only thing it doesn't have is a means of information storage such as DNA or RNA. Even prions have information stored in their protein.

Answer 7

Scientifically, no. But according to some cults and myths, flames could be compared to a certain form of spirit, or even symbolising a spirit.

Answer 8

No, flame is actually visible energy, or to word it better, a chemical reaction that flammable objects experienced when exposed to extreme heat.

Answer 9

Well questionare, Flame can be a living thing and a non living thing because when it's lit and actually living and when the flames are blown into ashes then it's a non living thing

Answer 10

A flame is considered a non-living thing