Flammability - GCSE Chemistry Definition

Reviewed by: Richard Boole

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Flammability is a term used to describe how easily a material can catch fire and burn. In chemistry, it refers to the ability of a substance to ignite when exposed to a flame or spark. A highly flammable substance will catch fire and spread quickly, while less flammable materials will burn more slowly or may not burn at all. Understanding flammability helps us handle materials safely, prevent fires, and choose the right substances for different uses. For example, petrol is considered highly flammable, whereas water is not flammable at all.

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Richard Boole

Reviewer: Richard Boole

Expertise: Chemistry Content Creator

Richard has taught Chemistry for over 15 years as well as working as a science tutor, examiner, content creator and author. He wasn’t the greatest at exams and only discovered how to revise in his final year at university. That knowledge made him want to help students learn how to revise, challenge them to think about what they actually know and hopefully succeed; so here he is, happily, at SME.

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