What Makes A Candle Burn?

During this holiday season, candles will be everywhere. If one is burning in your house, sit down and carefully observe it for awhile. See if you can answer these questions, either from your observation or from what you know. Be very careful and don't leave a burning candle unattended.

1. Before the candle is lit, scratch the side of it slightly with your fingernail. Is it easy to scratch?

2. Describe the flame of the candle. What color is it? Does it respond to moving air currents, such as someone walking by or softly blowing toward it?

3. What happens to the candle as it burns? Why? Where does the wax of the candle go as it burns?

4. If you carefully put a glass over the candle, what would happen? You should not try this by yourself. Why does the candle go out?

5. How is the candle like you?

Observations: 1. The candle is of a soft substance known as wax. It can be scratched with a fingernail and is used for candles because it burns easily.

2. The flame will be yellow with maybe some orange or blue pieces. If you look at the flame of a gas stove, the flame will be much bluer than the candle. This is because it is burning gas instead of candle wax.

3. As the candle burns, it gets shorter because the wax melts and is burned up.

4. A glass over the candle would keep more oxygen from getting to the candle. Once the oxygen is gone, the candle will go out because oxygen is required for burning.

5. The candle is like us because we also require oxygen. Our breathing is a form of burning and we must have oxygen to survive.

http://ansel.his.duq.edu/~doughert/CANDL... http://www.tqd.advanced.org/2690/exper/e...

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