Solder is made of metal with a core that contains flux, which cleans the connection as you solder. When the metal melts, the flux begins to flow onto the joint. Some solder lead-based, but the solder in this kit is lead-free. To melt solder, heat it with the soldering iron as shown in Figure 2-1.

Figure 2-1. Melting some solder

Try melting some solder, but be careful not to drip it on yourself or anything other than a work surface. You can try pushing tiny balls of solder around on your work surface to see how it flows. If you have some bare hookup wire or similar metal, try heating it up by holding the soldering iron to it (don’t hold the wire while you’re heating it). Touch a piece of solder to the wire, but choose a point that’s an inch or so from where the soldering iron is touching. How close do you have to get to the soldering iron tip before it melts?