Day 5: Candle Lab
How a candle works:
- Once ignited, the wax left over from the previous burn in the wick begins to burn.
- This provides the heat to melt the solid wax below.
- As the wax begins to heat up - it begins to melt.
- Once melted - it begins to move up the wick through capillary action. (meaning the liquid wax fills the void between the fibers of the wick and caries up the remaining liquid wax below in the process).
- As the liquid wax travels up the wick, it becomes even warmer - enough to even turn into a wax vapor - or wax in a gas state. (This is what you smell when you blow out the candles).
- Once the wax vapor reaches the flame - the wax vapor reacts with the oxygen in the air - which is why we have a flame in the first place - it IS the chemical reaction and turns into a brand new substance.
- On the other side of the flame are the brand new substances - carbon dioxide and water. (This is why it has no odor while the candle is lit and smells like wax vapor when you blow out the candle).