Torch

Torch

Type	Nonsolid Block
Physics	No
Transparency	Yes
Luminance	Yes, 14
Blast resistance	0
Tool	Any tool
Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)
Flammable	No
Availability	?
First appearance	Indev 0.31 (December 23, 2009)
Data value	dec: 50 hex: 32 bin: 00110010

Torches are blocks that emit light. When placed on a suitable surface, it adjusts its model in relation to how it is placed on a block, so that it can be made to attach to any side of a block except the bottom side.

From just one block of wood and eight pieces of coal or charcoal, 32 torches can be made, making them an easily obtainable item. Since the Adventure Update, torches have warmer light when placed. They can also be found naturally in Abandoned Mine Shafts, Strongholds and NPC Villages.

[edit] Properties

Torches in various positions on Chiseled Stone Bricks.

Torches act as a full block, for the purpose of placing other objects or torches in the same area. Being treated as a block by sand and gravel this prevents them from falling down past a block with a torch on it. Instead, sand and gravel break when they fall on a torch. If they are placed directly above a torch they act as if they were on any other solid material, allowing them to be used as environmental triggers, such as airlocks. To the player, torches act as non-solid blocks, allowing players to pass through torches and place them whilst clipping into the torch. Torches also melt nearby snow and ice, making them useful to keep skylights from being snowed over and lakes from freezing in snow biomes. The torches will however only melt snow and ice from a radius of 2 blocks from the torch. The smoke from a torch extends up 2½ blocks.

When a torch is placed in water, it will be detached, as if you had destroyed it. The block it was placed in will have no water in it afterwards, unless two adjacent water sources cause a third to be created. This can also be used to regain air while underwater.

[edit] Torch placement

Torches on a chest.

* Torches may be placed on the sides of openable blocks such as chests by holding shift and right-clicking on the block.

** Torches may only be placed on the top of fences or glass, not on the sides.

[edit] Crafting

Ingredients	Input » Output
Stick + Coal/Charcoal	4

[edit] As a crafting ingredient

Ingredients	Input » Output
Pumpkin + Torch

[edit] Video

[edit] History

Indev
0.31 (29 January 2010)		Torches added. They had a different icon in the inventory, appearing much shorter: .
		In an early version of the game, when removing a block the torch moved to another available block.[1]
Alpha
1.1.0		Torches can no longer be placed on tree leaves, but only in fancy mode.
Beta
1.6.6		Torches can now be placed on glowstone.
1.7		Torches cannot be placed on leaves, whether they are found naturally on a tree or placed after being trimmed with shears.
		Torches and redstone torches can be placed on top of fences.
Official release
1.2.1	12w08a	One may now place torches and redstone torches on top of glass.
1.3.1	12w19a	Torches now spawn around bonus chests if each side has a block at the same height around it.
	12w25a	Torches can now be placed on top of upside down slabs and stairs.
1.4.2	12w38a	New block-placing sound for torches.
	12w42b	Falling sand now properly “pops” when falling on torches.
1.5	13w06a	Fixed floating torches on village lamp posts.

[edit] Trivia

• Notch announced that torches would become temporary light sources that would eventually go out.^[2] They would need to be relit with flint and steel. The permanent torch would be replaced with lanterns, and all torches that exist already in saved games whether placed, stored or in inventory would become lanterns. This was supposed to take effect on October, 31^st 2010 with the Halloween Update, but it does not appear this will be the case anymore.^[3]
• If you jump on a placed torch, you will hear a sound of stepping on a wooden block. This is only the sound effect however, so you will not actually stand on it. You must also be moving in a horizontal direction as well, so running and jumping on them is the way to check it.
• It would take 1.26018466 × 10¹⁴ torches to light the entire surface of a minecraft map. It would take approximately double that number to cover everything in a minecraft map, caves and all, counting the 12 million blocks as the edge of the map.
• If a block falls onto a torch (sand or gravel), it breaks the block and gives the player the resource, but the gravel will not drop flint. However, if the torch is placed quickly enough after removing the base of a stack of falling blocks, the stack remains in place.
• Because torches emit a light level of 14 and hostile mobs require a light level of 7 or less to spawn, separating them by up to 12 blocks (i.e., 11 empty blocks between torches) will prevent hostile mobs from spawning. Light does not travel diagonally (see: Taxicab Geometry), so a torch at point (0,0,0) will supply a light level of 8 to point (3,2,1).
• Torches, interestingly, are created when the Ender Dragon is defeated.
• Breaking a torch with any tool does not decrease its Item durability.

[edit] See also

• Redstone Torch
• Redstone Lamp
• Lantern
• Light

[edit] References

1. ↑
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpmK7rDU5bA#t=4m13s
2. ↑
   http://notch.tumblr.com/post/1243370641
3. ↑
   http://twitter.com/notch/status/22743846228070400