What core element is often cited as the fundamental requirement for fire, alongside fuel and heat?
Answer
An oxidizer, almost always oxygen
The existence of fire universally requires three core elements: fuel, heat, and an oxidizer. The text explicitly states that the oxidizer is almost always oxygen. This requirement creates the fundamental scientific hurdle on Mars because the atmosphere lacks the necessary oxygen concentration, possessing only about $0.13$\% compared to Earth's $21\%$. Without sufficient oxidizer molecules present and available to participate in the chemical reaction, combustion cannot be sustained, regardless of the presence of fuel or heat.
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