The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1850-11-29

Facts in Chemistry-The following de. b
scriplion of the process by which can !,
die bulns Is prepared frun "The Chem /
islry of a Candle" published in Dickens /
"Huusehusd Wurds:"
BY looking down on the top of a wax
candle, liile cup Of melted wax may
be seen just around HE wick. The conl
air keeps the outside hard, sn that rim
IS f"rmed, which prevents the melted
wax from lunuing down The side. The
wuX in the lilIle cup goes up lhr"ug h the
wick To be burned, Just as oil does III the
wick of lamp. II goes up through the
little passages in the cotton wick becaLse
very small channels. or pores, have the
power in themselves of sucking up liz
uids. This power is called capillary az
traction.
When the candle is blown out, smoke
rises from the wick. If bit of lighted
paper be held in the smuke, the candle
willlight again willnuttouchnp the fame
! to the wick This shows that the melted
wax, sucked up through the wick, is
tuned into vapnr, which buns aud com.
municacs the 6re Ia the wick.
When the candle is lighted. the heat
ot the burning vapnr keeps On melting
more wax. aud that is sucked up within
the flame, where il is rnrurd into vapor
aud burned; and this process is c"ntln.
urd until the wax is all used up. and The
candle is gone, or burned up as it is
termed
Misunderstanding the damcufrhp caudie
looks fiat. il is both round aud hollow,
and ru's Ia point 1t is thus drawn
up by the hot air Hot air always rises
and that is the " smoke is taken up a
chimney. II goes ap wilh the current oi
heated air.
The bright fame Of candle is hleu
no thicker than sheet Of paper. aud II
does not even touch the wick. That the
| fame is holpw may be seen by taking a
a piece of white paper aud holding 1t I"r II
n second or two dawn upon The candle
flame. keeping The fame steady. When
u The black from the smoke has been rub
- bed of, it will be seen that the paper is
scul chrd in the shape of u ring, while IN
e side of the ring it sonly ied,and scarce.
: y singrd AT all.
Inside ofthis hollow fame is the vapou
sp"keU "I just Now. BY putting nue cnt
If bent luhe into the middle Of the
. fame. aud the ulher end into bottle
The vspoI "r gas, from the camille vii
4. mix with the air in the bottle If FIRE b,
/. set To this mixture Of air and gas it vii
\ explode with report
rs The tlamc Oilhe candle then, is a it'll
g shining case, with gas inside Uf H. an'
~ air on the outside, so that the case q
us fl me is between the gas and the All
This gas keeps going into the tiame t
burr; and, when the candle burns prnr
hS ery. none oft passes through the tlam,
ls aud n"ne Of the air gets through the fam
tS to The gas The greatest heat of til
"S candle is in The case of flame.
De- A candle iii nnl barn ithout air.
III il has noI enough All it goes Out nl bun
le badly 50 that some oi the yapor Inside
ne the flame comes ont in the lolm OF smnk
I" a candle snakes because the wick is
n' large lhat in burning it makes tao muc
d" fuel or vapnr, in proportion 1" the ii
''e that can get To it consequently some
d. the vapor must escape IN the i"m
smoke.
,c The smoke tha, comes out uG caud
n, is what buns and makes the light. Th
10 smoke is cl nd nf small dust Of bits
~, charcoal, OF carbon. These are made
81 the flame, aud burnrd by it, aud win
80 burning make the fame bright. The
-. are burned the moment they aIe mad
~ hn; the flame goes on making m"le
. them, aud that is how the Il me kreI
mi bright
go These little grains Of carbon are ma,
inlhe case of flame itself, where the slrUn
col heat is. The great heat seperat
- them from The gas that comes from Il
'nr melted wax cand as suUn as they lou,
nd the mir nn the outside uf the thin Han
ers they bum. Carbon or cha coal, is VIII
IN causes the brightness Of all lamps al
tn candles, as well AS gas light, hence the
of must be carbon in what they ave INA,
NV ut