Q&A for How to Create Fire With a Magnifying Glass

The fastest way to burn something with a magnifying glass is to use newspaper. The easiest part to start a fire on a newspaper is an area on which there is a lot of black ink, like in the black and white photos, etc.

Paper burns at 451 degrees Fahrenheit, or 233 degrees Celsius.

Yes. It may just take longer.

A hot sunny day with no clouds should be good, but even then, the best time is 12:00 because it is directly overhead.

You need direct sunlight, so it's possible if you have a sunroof or open window. I don't recommend it because of the risk of burning your house down.

You need full sun, at least one hour before sunset. If sunset is at 6:30, no fire at 6:40. The closer to "high noon," the better (which may be at 2:00 p.m.).

The type of magnifying glass is more important than the brand. For survival purposes, look for a magnifying glass with a plastic (not glass) lens, and that folds into a plastic case for protection purposes.

The sun changes positions in the sky during the day, so the angle will change, too. To get a good result, try shifting angles and distances to see what works.

No. It would melt the plastic before it could set the object on fire. You can get a cheap real glass magnifying glasses at your local home depot.

That's variable. It depends on how much newspaper you use and how well you tend the flame.

It is possible, but it is considerably more difficult to focus the light in one area.

Rock will not burn, you must have combustible material. It does not matter what the combustible material is on.

About 30 seconds to a minute. Be careful and make sure you have water on hand to douse the fire.

No, a lightbulb is not strong enough to generate the heat you need to make fire.

Yes, your lenses will still work. This is called transition lenses, which are designed to block the sunlight and protect your eyes.

It does not depend on the brand of the magnifying glass. If the magnifying glass you use is plastic, it will melt before you could catch your object on fire, if it is glass, it will not melt.

No; it will only reflect the sunlight, not intensify its light like a magnifying glass would.

The magnifying glass itself will get hot, but the handle to the magnifier should not get hot. However, if it does make sure to wear appropriate heat protection, like gloves or wrap the handle with something.

No, it's just focusing the light. The magnifying glass itself won't overheat and break.

A combination of the light not being hot and focused enough and the tinder possibly not being easy to light (e.g. maybe it's too damp).

Yes. Just make sure to make the spot of light from your magnifying glass is angled as small as possible on the newspaper or else it will definitely will not work. Also, keep your newspaper and magnifying glass away from flammable objects while you are doing this experiment.

Yes! Because glasses adjust how light focuses, you should be able to use them like a magnifying glass to start a fire. You may have to turn them over in order to focus the light.