Candle science| Amazing facts of burning candle flame

Candle science experiments| Amazing facts of burning candle flame

In the winter of 1859 Michael Faraday, a great British scientist gave a number of lectures for the young people. The talks dealt with one subject only the features or phenomena of a candle! And candle science its amazing facts of burning candle flame.

There is not a law Faraday told his listener under which any part of this universe is governed which does not come into play and is touched upon in these phenomena .There is no more open door by which you can enter into the study of natural philosophy than by considering the phenomena of candle. He then set out to prove his point by lighting a candle and demonstrated all the process involved.

In burning a candle you start with a solid substance that turns first into a liquid then into gas or more correctly a gas like vapor. The melted candle grease is held in a level position by gravity yet seems to defy gravity by rising in wick by a force called capillary action. In burning the candle produces energy in the form of light and heat. At the same time it goes into chemical reaction that reveals what it is made of.

As you enter the study of chemistry, you can do no better than to repeat for yourself some of the experiments that Mr. Faraday demonstrated to his young audience.

Experiment 1 

CANDLE FLAME IS BURNING VAPOR

You can prove by several ways that the flame of candle consists of burning paraffin vapors.

1.          Blow out the candle then quickly bring a lighted match into the vapors.
2.         Candle is again ignited.
3.         You can actually lead the vapors from a burning candle through a bent glass tube into a water glass.
4.         If left alone, whitish vapors condensed into a solid.

Experiment 2 CANDLE CONTAIN HYDROGEN

A candle forms water when it burns. Only hydrogen burning in oxygen forms water.

1.  Hold a cold glass for a few moments over a burning candle. 
2.  Dew forms on the inside.
3.  By wiping finger inside the glass you can make dew drops together to make water drops.

Experiment 3 

Candle contain carbon

1. ·         Place a piece of wire screening over flame of candle.
2. ·          Screening cools the flame and soot forms.
3. ·          The soot is carbon.

Another way to prove that candle contain carbon is show that carbon dioxide is formed when candle burns.

1. ·         Place funnel over flame.
2. ·          Hold lighted match in hot air from flame match goes out in this air.
3. ·         Place test tube over funnel and collect hot air.
4. ·         Pour lime water into tube and shake.
5.             Lime water gets cloudy from carbon dioxide.    

What you found out inside the candle flame.

The real candle science.