In George R.R. Martin’s fantastical land of Westeros in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, the spectacle of dragons breathing fire captivates his audience through a blend of myth and fantasy. For me at least, there’s also scientific curiosity.
The images of dragons unleashing torrents of flames on the new series of House of the Dragon got me thinking: if dragons existed, what real-world biological mechanisms and chemical reactions might they use?
But first, a chemistry recap. To ignite and sustain a flame, we need three components; a fuel, an oxidising agent - typically the oxygen in the air - and a heat source to initiate and maintain combustion.
