What we've got here is two conflicting forces: science and ancient myth. Both, in this situation(which is, in fact, to debate which realm of bending lava falls under, be it using science or myth- you see, my point was that Makoto shouldnt tell us that our arguments hold no merit merely because we invoke science as our proof, not that we cant use myth as reasoning) have merit.

Okay, using only science to make your case, I think earthbending is the clear victor. Firebenders, as Tomoganso stated(and in a very clear and concise manner, I might add) only control combustion, and do it by manipulating heat. I'd like to point out one thing, though- if they only utilize their body heat, how can a comet make them stronger(for the purposes of this, let's view a comet the way they see it, as a massive source of heat and energy, and not ice and metal)? I think they can manipulate heat around them as well, but that wont help them bend lava. Lava is a liquid. Sure, bend the heat around it all you want, but the lava itself wont move, since firebenders only control chemical reactions, which have no mass(or at least an infinitesemally small atomic mass). They cant control objects.

I think what they do is absorb the heat around them somehow, but dont allow it to burn them. They contain it somehow, and release it at will from their bodies, even if it doesnt originate from them. Hence daytime enhancing their strength, and the comet as well. This would also allow for firebenders never being burnt(at least by natural flame or their own flame- fire conciously controlled by another bender wouldnt be absorbed, since the bender directs it to damage... or at least I think).

If we had only Chinese mythology at our disposal, firebending would be the likely choice(however, it is debatable, at least to me- I can see a few reasons for firebending not being sole 'owner' of lavabending). The point I'd like to make is that it ought to be earthbending, at least from my point of view. Now, what I want to see more than anything is someone able to make a case for firebending using scientific fact- not because I think its impossible or because I discredit mythology as a casemaker, but because I cant figure out a way to do it.

I am not sure if this would directly answer your "how does a comet give them strengh questions" but Fire benders draw energy / heat in through the breath / inhale.

Energy can't be created or destoryed, only converted. Firebenders don't create the heat energy, but i would bet that they store or soak in energy from the the sun or comet into there bodies and then release it from there bodies in a controled and useful way to create fire.

the sun is like a battery. The fire bender uses the battery as a source of energy to then use energy for their own purposes, like running a video screen (i.e. making fire) If you take away the battery / sun, then the fire bender lose there source of energy. the same goes for if you add an extra battery / comit.
However the fire bending focus on controling what appears on the video screen {i.e. controling the chemical reaction of fire) and not the movement of outside thermal energy sources or a transfer of energy which doesn't involve transfering energy through themselves along the way.

That's exactly what I was saying. Your earlier posts stated merely that it 'had' to come from the body, and I only wished to point out that it couldnt only originate from the bender(the human body doesnt radiate enough heat to start combustion, even if it was pinpointed and directed), but had to be absorbed from other sources to create the massive fires we see in the show.

So, lava, the comet, and the sun= much stronger firebending. Zuko fighting Katara on a volcano during July while a comet roared overhead....... whoa.

But, back to the point. This means that firebenders dont bend physical objects, only start chemical reactions. By my(and Tomoganso's) logic, they cant bend lava, because lava is a physical thing. You never see a firebender physically move something with bending(unless they burn/explode it), so I dont think they can bend lava.

Anyone have conflicting opinions?

I believe that it is both.It is like the time that Toph could bend the mud and so could Katara. I think that fire benders can bend it because of its heat. Lava sometimes even flames up. And earth benders can bend it because of the fact that it is molten rock. Rock being earth. Earth being what earth benders bend.

Heat is not a physical thing. Heat is a comparison word, a measurement. Heat is simply the rate of movement of the particles. The word you are looking for is Thermal energy.

On pluto my icecream would be the hottest object around because it has more heat than the surrounding area.

Well, have you ever noticed that they haven't shown anyone besides an Avatar bending lava? I think that's because you need Earth AND Firebending to bend it. After all, the lava is molten rock, and it's super-heated.

About the analogy to Katara and Toph bending the sludge: Katara was bending the WATER in it, and Toph was bending the EARTH in it. Neither of them was bending all of it.

So, seeing as only Avatars have been shown bending lava, I would assume that you need Earth AND Firebending to bend it (possibly even Waterbending as well, because it's a liquid).

Yes but by bending the water the mud went with it and vice versa for Toph. So by bending the earth, which is what lava is just really hot, an earth bender would be bending all of it. And vice versa for a fire bender.

But how would the water "go along" with the Earth? Katara can bend water, and water alone. Did you notice that, when Toph joined her in bending, it stayed back better?

Also, remember in "the Desert" when Katara was giving the gang water? Momo jumped into it and spilled it all over the sand. Then, Katara pulled the Water right up from the sand, without sand coming with it. She cannot bend Earth.

There is one exception I can think of, though. If little particles of Earth had actually completely dissolved into the water, Katara might have been able to bend it. Is that what you meant?

What I mean is that she may have dissovled the water into the earth with her earth bending power. Or just picked it up with the water. My main point is that there are two parts to lava. There are two parts to mud. You can't move the earth in the lava without moving the fire part because it is one thing made out of two things. It is a compound. Mud is water and earth making one thing. It would take a fire and earth bender to seperate the two things.

But, is fire something physical? Is it a compound? Last time I checked, fire was energy, and not anything like earth, which is something that is firm and physical for the most part. A compound is a combination of elements, not the four elements though.
Remember, I am just giving my personal oppinion which is by no means a creditible one, so I could be so wrong on this in many levels.

(When I said physical, I meant solid, but I was including other forms as well, aside form energy because energy is something without real 'form')

Actually Ive seen roku bend lava in the the first season avatar roku. I imagine it would take a skilled bender, if not an avatar to bend lava. It's an interesting topic.

Keep in mind that Avatar Roku is an Avatar, and could theoretically be using earthbending with his firebending to move the lava in that particular episode.

Although lava is just really hot rock, I tend subscribe to likening it to the slurry that both Katara and Toph could bend in the Drill. Logically, it would seem that lava would be more of an earthbending ability because all firebenders to is create and control fire, not heat. However, I think in terms of the show, they consider it one of those multiple things. The thing of it being that the Avatars Roku showed Aang in the Avatar State were all using their native element. Kuruk went into the Avatar State and made a tidal wave, Yangchen blew the forest down around her, Kyoshi moved stone statues. Why would the fire themed Avatar make a volcano blow with earthbending when they've already showed an earthbender? It doesn't make sense.

It's really more of a creative license sort of thing. The show associates fire with lava more than with earth because a lot people would think of fire when they think of lava. While they stick to science to a point, I think the writers like to branch off from there to what feels right or more 'artistic.'

And please remember to keep posts over 300 characters.

I suppose you could think of bending as an art form. Although this might sound a little irrelevant, I think of a potter/sculptor when someone mentions lava bending. A potter/sculptor works with clay/stone, as does an earth bender. But if their ( the potter/sculptor's) clay/stone is molten, they wouldn't really be able to work with it. Of course it's different for earth benders since most of the time they aren't actually touching the stone, but I wonder how much the heat factor would affect their ability to bend lava.

That's why I'm still fairly firm in my belief that only an avatar - who can bend both fire and earth and therefor wouldn't be affected by the extreme heat - or maybe, just maybe, a very skilled bender, could bend lava.

One thing I was wondering is if the bending that Toph and Katara was doing on the sludge was a sort of collaborative bending, if there is such a thing. So I am led to question if a fire bender and an earth bender - though I can't see two working in tandem - could bend lava if they were to work together.

I don't know if my rambling made any sense, but those are my thoughts.

Let me think.....

A fire bender can bend lava, okay that sounds reasonable enough. I mean, why not. Its hot, its moves smoothly, its pretty dangerous.... Fits the requirements of the firebender's style, WHOOT!

Now, can a earthbender bend lava? Possibly, but now I am starting to think of soemthign odd.... Is lava the same thing as rock and soil? Like is it made of the same type? And if earthbenders could bend lava, then couldn't they have bent the lava on the whole fortune teller episode?

There is what I have to say for now. I wonder if my mind changes like the seasons.....

I cast my vote with Avatars can bend lava, and probably nobody else can. Well, maybe an Avatar-Level bender. Not sure if you'd need a combination of firebending and earthbending in order to bend, if you know what I mean, but you'd definantly need earthbending.

The fire is maybe bent away by the firebending style, the earthbending style moves the rock-part of the lava. Firebenders CAN manipulate existing fire - witness Zuko angry = flamey candles.

Well, lets look at what we do know. Magma is simply earth that lies in the earth's crust and also lies dormant inside volcanoes. But for a volcano to erupt, the magma needs to be induced by incredible heat and pressure for it to explode. So in my opinion, firebenders causing enough heat and pressure inside the volcano can cause it to erupt, but I think only earthbenders could control the magma or lava once it leaves the volcano as it is still a form of earth.

In respect to controlling lava, I feel that only an earthbender possess the ability but an avatar would be able to coax the magma from its hiding place using firebending as well.

You'd need an avatar level earthbender to cope with all the crappy sludgy magma that would inevitably rain down once you start hurling it through the air, methinks. Maybe Toph could do it... for, like, 3 throws. -__-

On the upside, any firebenders lying around can manipulate any flames mucking around nearby and seriously scorch people. But that's all they're manipulating, i suspect - the flames, not the lava itself.

I think your getting toward something here. Earth benders feel the Earth to be able to bend it. They'd be burnt to a crisp if they tried to feel lava! Fire benders may be more resistant to heat (they have to be), but how can they bend a substance instead of energy? My point being that lava's characteristics means that only be combining the two could allow bending. So only avatars can bend it. After all "The combination of four elements in one person is what makes the avatar so powerful." Here's an example of why.