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A
candle consists of a column of solid fuel with
an internal wick rising up through the center
and out through the top.
The
wick is lit to provide illumination. The most
common fuel is paraffin wax, but soy and other
vegetable waxes are becoming increasingly
popular.
In
candle making, the fuel, or wax, is first melted
then poured into a container. The wick is
saturated with wax before it is placed in the
center of the melted wax. After it is put in
place and the melted wax hardens, it is time to
light the wick. When the wick is lit, the heat
from the match melts and vaporizes some of the
wax in the wick. The vapor combines with oxygen
in the air to produce a flame that is hot enough
to melt the top layer of wax. As this wax melts,
it moves via capillary action up through the
wick and feeds the flame, thus keeping the
candle burning.
As
you can see by looking at a candle flame, the
burning of the fuel, or wax, occurs in distinct
regions or layers. The inner blue layer is the
hottest layer, where hydrogen is being separated
from the fuel and forming steam. The bright,
yellow layer is the result of carbon, or soot,
being oxidized and forming carbon dioxide.
The
candle grows shorter, of course, as the wax is
melted and consumed. The parts of the wick that
are not burning the melted wax are themselves
consumed in the fire, resulting in the wick
growing shorter as well.
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