Question

(MC)

STORIES OF USEFUL INVENTIONS, excerpt
By S. E. Forman

1911

THE MATCH

There never was a time when the world was without fire, but there was a time when men did not know how to kindle fire; and after they learned how to kindle one, it was a long, long time before they learned how to kindle one easily. In these days we can kindle a fire without any trouble, because we can easily get a match; but we must remember that the match is one of the most wonderful things in the world, and that it took men thousands of years to learn how to make one. Let us learn the history of this familiar little object, the match.

Fire was first given to man by nature itself. When a forest is set on fire by cinders from a neighboring volcano, or when a tree is set ablaze by a thunderbolt, we may say that nature strikes a match. In the early history of the world, nature had to kindle all the fires, for man by his own effort was unable to produce a spark. The first method, then, of getting fire for use was to light sticks of wood at a flame kindled by nature—by a volcano, perhaps, or by a stroke of lightning. These firebrands were carried to the home and used in kindling the fires there. The fire secured in this way was carefully guarded and was kept burning as long as possible. But the flame, however faithfully watched, would sometimes be extinguished. A sudden gust of wind or a sudden shower would put it out. Then a new firebrand would have to be secured, and this often meant a long journey and a deal of trouble.

In 1827, John Walker, a druggist in a small English town, tipped a splint with sulphur, chlorate of potash, and sulphid of antimony, and rubbed it on sandpaper, and it burst into flame. The druggist had discovered the first friction-chemical match, the kind we use to-day. It is called friction-chemical because it is made by mixing certain chemicals together and rubbing them. Although Walker's match did not require the bottle of acid, nevertheless it was not a good one. It could be lighted only by hard rubbing, and it sputtered and threw fire in all directions. In a few years, however, phosphorus was substituted on the tip for antimony, and the change worked wonders. The match could now be lighted with very little rubbing, and it was no longer necessary to have sandpaper upon which to rub it. It would ignite when rubbed on any dry surface, and there was no longer any sputtering. This was the phosphorus match, the match with which we are so familiar.

What issue made a match, or other device for starting a fire, necessary? (5 points)

a.)Burning material was hard to find.
b.)Fire was hard to transport.
c.)Nature was unreliable.
d.)Wind storms were frequent.

Answer 1

(C: Nature was unreliable.

Step-by-step explanation:

! took the test

Answer 2

C) Nature was unreliable.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to Forman, the reason that the match (or another device for starting a fire) was necessary was that nature was unreliable.

Before the match was invented, the man had to rely on nature to get a source of fire. However, that wasn't simple. Sources of fire appeared in dangerous circumstances, such as a volcano eruption or a lightning storm. Then, that fire needed to be carried home and maintained carefully, because wind or rain could put it out. In that case, the man needed to start over and get some more fire, which wasn't an easy task. This is why nature was unreliable, and why depending on it to kindle fire was unpractical for our ancestors.