No, lava is not wet in the traditional sense of the word.
Lava is molten rock, an incredibly hot, viscous liquid composed primarily of minerals, not water. While it flows like a liquid, its chemical composition and properties are vastly different from water, which is what typically makes something "wet."
Understanding Lava's Composition
The fundamental reason lava isn't wet is its composition. As the reference states, "lava is made of minerals." These minerals are silicate compounds that have been heated to extreme temperatures (typically 700°C to 1,200°C or 1,300°F to 2,200°F), causing them to melt into a liquid state.
Key characteristics that distinguish lava from water:
- Mineral-based: Lava's primary constituents are silicon, oxygen, aluminum, iron, magnesium, calcium, and other elements forming rock-forming minerals.
- High Viscosity: While liquid, lava is often much more viscous than water, flowing slowly like thick syrup or even paste, depending on its type and temperature.
- Extreme Heat: Lava's intense heat causes anything it touches to instantly vaporize, ignite, or melt, rather than simply become saturated.
The Nature of "Wetness"
The term "wet" implies the presence of water, or a water-like liquid, that adheres to or saturates a surface. For example, a towel becomes wet when it absorbs water, and a street is wet after it rains. Lava, however, does not contain water in its molten state, nor does it impart water to objects it contacts.
What Happens When Objects Interact with Lava?
As observed in the reference, when objects are introduced to lava, the reaction is dramatic and indicative of its non-watery nature: "they do indeed just go thud. And then burst into flames."
This happens because:
- Instant Combustion/Melting: The extreme heat of the lava causes organic materials to immediately combust and inorganic materials (like metals or rocks) to melt, vaporize, or disintegrate upon contact.
- Dense Liquid: The "thud" sound described suggests that objects are not splashing into a lightweight liquid, but rather impacting a dense, heavy molten substance.
In essence, while lava is a liquid, its properties are those of molten rock, not water. Therefore, it cannot make anything "wet" in the common understanding of the term.
