Question

When the matchstick is struck against the match box, why dosent the chemical in the matchbox's red surface start burning?

Answer 1

The head of the matchstick is made from antimony trisulphide and potassium chlorate. The rubbing surface has powdered glass and a little red phosphorus. When the matchstick is rubbed against the side of the match box, some of the red phosphorus is converted into white phosphorus; this immediately reacts with potassium chlorate in the matchstick head to produce enough heat to ignite antimony trisulphide and starts the combustion of matchstick.