Candle
From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids
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For other uses, see
A candle is a light source usually consisting of an internal
Prior to the candle being ignited, the wick is saturated with the fuel in its solid form. The heat of the match or other flame being used to light the candle first melts and then vaporizes a small amount of the fuel. Once vaporized, the fuel combines with oxygen in the atmosphere to form a flame. This flame then provides sufficient heat to keep the candle burning via a self-sustaining chain of events: the heat of the flame melts the top of the mass of solid fuel, the liquified fuel then moves upward through the wick via
The burning of the fuel takes place in several distinct regions (as evidenced by the various colors that can be seen within the candle's flame). Within the bluer, hotter regions, hydrogen is being separated from the fuel and burned to form water vapor. The brighter, yellower part of the flame is the remaining carbon
As the mass of the solid fuel is melted and consumed, the candle grows shorter. Portions of the wick that are not evaporating the liquid fuel are, ideally, consumed in the flame, limiting the exposed length of the wick and keeping the temperature and rate of fuel consumption even. Some wicks required manual trimming with scissors or a wick trimmer for even burning, but these are rarely found in modern candles.
[edit] External links
- Beeswax Facts
- Candle and Soap Making at About.com
- Are soy candles cleaner burning?
- National Candle Association of the U.S.
- How to Make a Bee Wax Candle
- How To Make Hand Dipped Candles
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