How Do People Walk On Hot Coals Without Getting Burned?
I actually learned the answer to this in my thermodynamics class. What happens is that heat gets dissipated from the top so the bottom of the coals are hotter than the top of the coals. The reason why people’s feet do not get burned is because heat transfer through the ash formed on top of the coals is slower than it is through the coal itself. Also, the reason why people walk instead of run is because there is more contact resistance between your feet and the coals if you are walking instead of running. Imagine placing your hand on a metal pole on a hot day as opposed to gripping the pole with all your strength. Running also will overturn coals to their hot side.
Fire walkers can, and few people know how they do it. These amazing people, who live in Hawaii, India, and on certain islands of the South Pacific, actually walk on fire. A big trench is dug in the ground and is filled with fire. Eventually, it burns down to a bed of glowing, red-hot coals. The fire walkers then walk for some 45
