What happens to the smoke from a candle?

Smoke is unburned particles of carbon released when the hydrocarbon chain of candle wax breaks down. When the candle is alight, most of the carbon gets burned to carbon dioxide, but some escapes. If you hold a plate above a candle flame, you’ll see the carbon accumulate as a sooty smear.

Where does the smoke go when you cover a candle?

When you blew out the candle you should have seen white smoke rising up into the air from the wick. This is the wax vapor, which becomes visible as it condenses into small liquid droplets in the cooler air. If you touched the wax vapor (white smoke) with another flame, the candle should have immediately lit up again.

What is the smoke from a candle called?

The smoke was nowhere to be seen when the candle was actually burning, so where does this smoke suddenly come from? Interestingly, the smoke you see when you blow out a candle is not actually ‘smoke’; it’s vaporized paraffin wax.

What happens to melted candle wax?

How Candles Burn. When you light a candle, the heat of the flame melts the wax near the wick. This liquid wax is then drawn up the wick by capillary action. The heat of the flame vaporizes the liquid wax (turns it into a hot gas), and starts to break down the hydrocarbons into molecules of hydrogen and carbon.

How does blowing out a candle work?

Carbon dioxide molecules are heavier than air. Because of this, they push the oxygen and other molecules in the air out of the way as they sink down over the flame and candle. When oxygen is pushed away from the wick, it can’t react with the wax anymore. This makes the flame go out.

Why do candles smoke when lit?

Smoke is created when the flame of the candle is unable to properly burn all the fuel (in the form of vaporized wax) efficiently due to a lack of oxygen. The result of this incomplete combustion is sooty carbon, as opposed to typical water and carbon dioxide.

Do candles make your ceiling black?

Candles can actually leave gray, soot deposits on surfaces, according to Bob Schacke with Home Inspection Experts . You might notice it on the ceiling, walls, or around picture frames. “The jug limits air flow to the flame and this inhibits combustion, causing extra soot.”

What happens to candle when heated?

When you light a candle, the heat of the flame melts the wax near the wick. This liquid wax is then drawn up the wick by capillary action. The heat of the flame vaporizes the liquid wax (turns it into a hot gas), and starts to break down the hydrocarbons into molecules of hydrogen and carbon.

Why is burning a candle combustion?

Candle Wax Combustion Essentially, the heat from the flame vaporizes the wax’s hydrocarbon molecules, reacting with the air’s oxygen. It vaporizes the wax so it can continue to burn and melt, maintaining the supply of fuel until there’s either 1) no wax left or 2) not enough heat to melt said wax.

Why does blowing put out a flame?

Can blowing out a candle cause a fire?

Candles left unattended or too close to flammable items can trigger a fire that spread room to room and have the ability to destroy a whole house. Since candles are such a common piece of décor in homes, it’s important to know how to prevent these fires so you can keep using candles but do so safely.

Are candles supposed to smoke?

A properly burning and well-made candle can produce a little smoke every now and then, but it should never continuously smoke. If a noticeable amount of smoke is being generated, knowing the causes can help stop it. Move your candle out of a draught.