Fire from an AA battery:

http://www.mrfeature.com/media.php?name=1005-aa-battery-and-staple-can-make-fire

Cameron

I've actually tried this in the past; didn't work out very well.

Supposedly, one could achieve better results with a 9-volt, but I don't want to waste one trying...

Except that one wouldn't waste one trying this with a 9v battery, as the termianls are next to one another, so there would be no reason to pry the end off the battery.

Jim

Nooo... I mean the battery discharges quickly and I'm on too tight a budget to waste expensive batteries on experiments such as this...

P.S. Steel wool can be used in conjunction with AAs to keep them intact.

I'm surprised he got enough current from a AA alkaline cell, but it is only char cloth.

You can do this with many batteries and different wires. The more current that the battery can source, the better. Nicads, NiMH and other rechargables can supply a lot more current than alkalines.

The wire is critical. Copper, aluminum, and other good conductors don't have enough resistance to heat up well. Steel is good. Thinner wire is better than thicker. Staples, wire ties (bread and cables), steel wool, guitar strings, picture frame wire, etc. are all sources for fine steel wire.