One end of a match, a handy tool for producing fire, is coated with a material that can be ignited by frictional heat. The fire is created by striking the match against a suitable surface.
The invention of matchsticks is still ambiguous. Primitive men used many unknown tools as ways to create fire. However, it is said that the first chemical matches were initially made by the Romans. They used matches in the form of lengths of wood dipped into molten sulphur, and ignited with the heat from smouldering tinder.
In 1680, Robert Boyle discovered that when rubbed together, phosphorous and sulphur created flame. Even after this crucial discovery, it took over 150 years to produce self-igniting matches.
Something similar to modern-day matches was invented by John Walker, an English chemist. Walker called them friction lights; they had tips coated with potassium chloride and antimony sulphide paste. They were ignited when rubbed against sandpaper.
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