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Light Fires with Toothpaste

The WonderHowTo Awards winners are in. The votes have been tallied.

Despite all of these devastating wild fires, pyromania thrives!!

Congratulations to Angel and his toothpaste potato fires for winning the 2008 Weird Science Award!!

This fire setting trick rivals MacGyver's ingenuity. The science is simple: make a potato battery, a la lemon battery. The wires then spark together, combusting the cotton.

We are still unsure as to the importance of the toothpaste, but we encourage your feedback. First person to explain the science in the comments section below gets a FREE T-SHIRT!

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+3
mcpaintball 1 year ago
Excellent, I just need to repack my 72 hour kit
+1
ryan 2 weeks ago
oh!
+1
lishellymili 2 weeks ago
real?i do not
+1
bankshelly 2 weeks ago
the way is good,i like this way.
+1
Mattex 1 year ago
so this actually works?
+1
Lobsterkiller 5 months ago
No, I tried it and it did not work. I was able to get voltage but the cotton wouldn't start on fire. I was able to get about 1 volt. I tried with vinegar and salt and got more voltage but no ignition or spark. Not sure what went wrong...
+1
blide last month
Need of a bigger potato maybe? :-)
-1
Harukii 4 weeks ago
probably a specific potato(that may sound stupid to you)
-1
delaware 3 weeks ago
or a riper potato, more fresh. or else this is fake nonsense. i would take the time to try but its labelled as F for fake or whatever so ef wasting my time.
-2
Anthonyk312 last month
why not just use a 9- volt battery and connect the ends with paperclips. they make a spark when in contact.
+2
pyro dude 1 year ago
yes it dose work. it takes 5 mins for it to genarate. but after it had you can light cotton wool for about 4 hours wif it. you can also powder low L.E.D's. give it a go.
+5
robbace 1 year ago
HAHA i'm cracking up thinking about pulling out a potato to lite a ladies ciggy. This is awsome!
+1
blide last month
LOL..yeah!
+2
Shaving Cream MAN! 1 year ago
I wonder if I can power my iPhone with this?
-1
andy 1 year ago
i'm skeptical. But i was also skeptical about allowing women to vote.
+1
imedbone yesterday
as well as allowing women to WORK; they took half our jobs away and only accomplished skyrocketing the cost of living!
+3
Ben 1 year ago
I call it the Irish heater.
+1
mastersduhgree last month
gwahahaaha. good one
+1
dononeblade 8 months ago
This is pretty cool, Can you tell me how it works
+1
jakecake 7 months ago
nice one
+1
somebody 7 months ago
good :)
+1
xlin85 7 months ago
nice ....
+1
jon123 7 months ago
very cool !
+1
Joel 7 months ago
This could be the renewable energy source that replaces coal and oil! Probably not...
+1
aaaccc 7 months ago
nice:)
+2
redrocket83 7 months ago
hmm yes
+2
mcharlton 7 months ago
the reason this works with the toothpaste is because it has an alkaline nature, which nicely conducts the electrons free when the salt becomes aqueous in the liquid toothpaste.
-3
cyrus_wiccan 5 months ago
NERD!
+2
mr_vdat 5 months ago
and you are a stupid one who can call a clever person who can tell us the reason how its possible...
now i know what to take with me when im on a island :P
+1
mr_vdat 5 months ago
correction:
and you are a stupid one who can call a clever person as a nerd who can tell us the reason how its possible...
now i know what to take with me when im on a island :P
+3
smokenator 2 months ago
lmfao! You're a wiccan and you're calling mcharlton a nerd? Priceless.
+2
4bucks 2 months ago
OMG i know right!lol i know 2 wiccans:both are over 200 pounds,spend more than 12 hours a day on the computer,have over 50 pimples on their face,and..theyre nerdy as fawk.
+1
wicccasucks last month
thats rich.. a wiccan callin ANYONE a nerd
+2
mastersduhgree last month
oh gawd...all it takes is a couple bozo,s to get off subject this far...shut up already
+1
blide last month
why toothpaste..water should do..
+1
belugas 7 months ago
i was going to vote for the bra video but I just can't after watching how to make a fire from a potato. the potato gets my vote.
+1
littleone 7 months ago
who would have ever known..lol
+1
Sir_Kalin 7 months ago
Another cool Fire Trick: Lying.
You're pants will magically catch fire.
+1
gooor 3 weeks ago
lol ur funny haha. lmao
+1
gooor 3 weeks ago
liar liar pants on fire
+1
almighty 6 months ago
Pretty cool!!!
+2
vhdcrusher 6 months ago
its cool, but at the beginning, they ask how to respond to pretty girl who needs a light.
this is supposedly the answer. its a cool trick and all but seroiusly, who carries a toothpaste+salt infused potato with two wires sticking out of it?
+1
sothrowedmex last month
ditto. This is the same thing I was thinking lol
+1
danny100333 6 months ago
thats preety cool
+1
alexander_k 5 months ago
smart....
+1
cyrus_wiccan 5 months ago
nice
+1
ssteven232 5 months ago
10 bucks says hes in idaho
+1
seattled 2 months ago
lol idaho..funny dude...they have so much potatoe they don't even know what to do with it huh
+1
mastersduhgree last month
gwahahaha...now thats a worth while off subject comment...heh
-3
Xoebear 5 months ago
Oh yeah, a girl asks me for a light. I don't have a lighter or a simple match, but I conveniently have a potato, salt, toothpaste, wires, and cotton. Oh, I'd never take the simple effort of walking and buying a 99 cent match box, I'll use this and I'm sure she'll wait like 7 minutes for the light instead of asking the other friend right next to her. This is great!

Seriously, what's the #$%@ing point of this video? >XD
+3
smokenator 2 months ago
The point to the video is that people like to have fun. You're obviously not one of them.
+1
nicknac1234 last month
and the point to this video is to have fun insted of doin jack #$%@ all day and its not like your really goin to light a cig wit it so just chill out and have fun if you no how to
+1
gooor 3 weeks ago
lol seriously i was thinkin the same thing too
+1
darkreaction 5 months ago
Great way of using alternatives on getting a fire but waiting 5 mins for flame to appear and the fire disappear shortly, not worth it, get a lighter at Wal-mart!
+1
mastersduhgree last month
i been stuck in the woods (at work)needed fire and youd be amazed at what you can come up with to make fire.
+1
x-plosivsera 5 months ago
Doesn't matter how long it lasts or how strong that is, it made me get fire out of a potato, it's a nice trick imho.
+1
xxkai 5 months ago
what happens when you don't use the cotton?
+1
nicknac1234 last month
maybe you'll just get shocked or something... i dunno
-2
venom20078 5 months ago
i can nooooooot get this to work. It may have a voltage but not even a spark came out. This is sooo stupid.
+1
Sabre 4 months ago
cool, facinating
+1
Nerdking13 4 months ago
wow, this really works!
+1
reeniz0174 4 months ago
so if the person doesn't have a lighter what makes you think they have a potatoe, a knife, a spoon, salt, and two wires lol it still cool though i wanne try it
+1
rjrono 3 months ago
josh.....simple good

+1
Lego677 3 months ago
lol

+1
al_01 3 months ago
awesome?1
+1
Ryucoin 3 months ago
there is a correct toothpaste? or can be any type?
+1
mastersduhgree last month
can you use another paste?
+1
eXoCheaterz 2 months ago
nice job,

but why would you bring salt, patatous and all off the rest with you to a date..?
+1
Shadowmaster 2 months ago
wow. what if a terrorist found this out, and came to the us, and blew the #$%@ out of us?
+1
dutchman_999 last month
lol, I think the terrorist would have a better chance of just throwing the potatoe at us. :)
+1
mastersduhgree last month
yeah or his shoes
+1
dutchman_999 last month
lmfao, another repeat of president bush.
+1
armour666 2 months ago
nice. but by that time the noce girl wood have left for somone which did have a lighter or maches.
+1
4bucks 2 months ago
lol well what if i happened to be chillin with sum hoes,randomly robbed Mr.Kings fruit stand for a potato,stole some salt from the kroger across the street(and toothpaste)and some small appliance,took out the wires,also stole some toothpicks.hell yeah
+1
Thedaylees 2 months ago
I tried this and couldn't get the cotton ball to catch fire...

AND THEN.....................

** After many attempts... I finally got it to work (after placing a 9v battery inside the potato and connecting the two wires to each terminal) touched the wire to the wire in the cotton ball......and then VIOLA ... FLAMES !!!!
+2
papawook 2 months ago
I think I'm going to quit smoking,this time for real.
+1
Shanjid12 2 months ago
awesome!!:p
+1
dogbunnyabc last month
hi people
+1
ebaker last month
lmao...i'd do anything for a guy that lit my cigarette like that
+1
egzon22 last month
i tried this 2 times but sumthing wrong i cant do it ...:(
+1
danish8693 last month
i tried but nothing happens
-1
anarchy_420_74 last month
I LIKE FIRE..........i got to try this....only maybe on a larger scale......muah hahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa
+1
lovetruth last month
and what if the fire doesn't start exactly when you're trying to give her the fire? :))) (like in previous failed cases... :-" :)) )
+1
dmeon last month
When I tried this my toothpicks broke, so I got toothpaste all over her skirt.
+1
zealthedestroyer last month
cool man...you could cook a pea with it
+1
mrannoyalot 3 weeks ago
haha a pea ya know haha. thats funny.
+1
dominator last month
Nice...
+1
sid200 last month
A girl came up to me with a fag in her mouth and said do you have a potato ?????
+1
Tikki last month
Do you use copper or silver wire. I had a potato clock as a kid and one wire was copper and the other silver. That thing ran just by putting the leads in the ground, beer all sorts of stuff.
+1
fcvcxvcv last month
awesomeeee
+1
gortail last month
So...

Girl: Can you light my cigarette?

You: Well, I don't have my lighter or matches... but wait! I have big pockets, so I carry around a bunch of junk. Let's see... Good news! I've got all the stuff to make a fire.

lol not the best scenario.
Cool experiment though...
+1
lard oh last month
you could smoke a dubie with out a lighter or mathches
+1
lard oh last month
the south shall rise again
+1
mastersduhgree last month
i think its actually down for the count
+1
mrannoyalot 3 weeks ago
hahahaha
+1
minimoonpie 3 weeks ago
see, i just wouldent lite a cigarette for anyone but if i had to and i didn't have alighter i would use a match
+1
minimoonpie 3 weeks ago
but I have to admit this is cool
+1
CRAZY EMINEM FAN 1 week ago
thats intresting... is it the salt that reacts with the toothpaste though?
+1
Chaotic Hopes 1 week ago
That's pretty insane. I wonder who thinks to do this, lol.
+1
dscottt 1 week ago
I'll teach my patients at the hospital on potato day
+1
descoverynizer 4 days ago
I've just tried it out but there are allmost 0.07 volts...
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