Hot things can burn you -- everyone knows that! but, just how hot is "Hot"?

The hotter something is, the more dangerous it is, but anything that is more than a few degrees hotter than your body can burn you. Just how bad the burn will be depends on how tough your skin is (older people and very young children have more delicate skin) and on how long the heat is touching your skin, as well as on how hot the thing is.

This table shows how hot some everyday things are:

A hot summer day : 30°C (86°F)

Body temperature : 36.9°C (98.4°F)

Hot bath water : 40.5°C to 42.5°C (105°F to 108.5°F)

Central-heating pipes : 80°C (176°F)

Hot coffee : 95°C (203°F)

Boiling water : 100°C (212°F)

A pressure cooker : 120°C (250°F)

A candle flame : 205°C (400°F)

A match flame : 205°C (400°F)

Hair straighteners : 220°C (430°F)

A laundry iron : up to 230°C (445°F)

Hot cooking oil : up to 230°C (445°F)

A kitchen oven : up to 240°C (475°F)

Hot tailpipes : up to 540°C (1000°F)

A coal fire : 600°C (1,110°F)

Burning wood : 650°C (1,200°F)

An electric fire : 900°C (1,650°F)

A lighted cigarette : 930°C (1,700°F)

A gas flame (fire or cooker) : 1000°C (1,830°F)

Burning charcoal : 1100°C (2,010°F)