Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1850-12-03
How the Candle Burns.


INTERESTING FACTS IN CHEMsTRY- The
following description of The process by which
a candle burns is prepared from The Che
mistry Of Candle" published in Dickens
"Household Works"
BY looking down on The top uf wax can
die, little cup Of melted wax may be seen
just around The wick. The cool air keeps
the outside hard so that lin is formed,
which prevents the melted wax from running
down the side. The wax 10 the liule cup
! goes up through the wick 10 be burned, Just
as the oil does IN the wick of lamp IL
goes up through the lirte passages 10 the
cotton wick because very small channels. or
! pores. have the power in themselves of suck
ing up liquids. This power ls called capiI-
lazy attraction.
When The candle is blown oul 4 smoke ri-
ses from the wick. Ii biz Df hghied parer
be held in the smoke. the candle will light
again without touching the flames 10 The
wick This shows that he melted wax suck
ed up through the wick is turned into vapor
which burns und communicates the hfe To
! the wick.
When the candle is lighted, the beat Of the
burning vapor keeps on melting more wax.
aud that ~ sucked up wihln The flame
where II is tuned into vapOr aud burned;
and this process is continued uuil the wax
Is all used up, and he candle is goue, or bar.
ned up, as II is termed.
Notwithstanding the fame Of the canlle
looks fiat. il is both round and hollow, and
up To point. IL is thus drawn up BY hot
air. Hot air always ises--and that IL the
way sr'oke is taken up the chimney. Ii goes
up with The current OF heated air.
The bright flame of the candle is often no
thicker than sheet Of paper. and il does
not even touch the wick. Tha, the fidne is
hollow may be seen by taking u piece OF
white paper and holding II for second orr
down upon the candle flame, keeping the
fame steady. When the black from The
smoke has been rubbed off. il will be- seen
that the paper is seorched IN the shape of a
ring, while inside of the ring, it il only soled
and not scarcely singed at all
Inside of this hollow flame il the vapor
spoken Of Just now. By putting ooe end of
a bent tube iuto the middle ur the flame, aud
the other end into botte, the vapot. or gas,
from the candle III mix with lhe air in the
bottle. II fire be set Io ihis mixture Of air
on the outside, SO that the case ur fame Il
between the gas and the AIR. The gas keeus
going into the flame 10 burn; and. when The
candle burns properly none ot n passes oui
through the flame. aud noBe of the air gets
through the fame TO the gas. The greatest
heat Of the candle IS ~ The case uf lhe flame
A candle will NOT burn without afr. lfu
has not enough air !, goes out or buns bad
ly so that some of The vapor inside Of the
flame comes out IN turin oi smoke. A can
die smokes because the wick ~ so large that
in burning u makes too much tuel or vapor,
in proportion To the air that eau yet 10 IT.
consequently some Of the vapor must escape
in the torn OF smoke.
The smoke that comes nut Of candle is |
what burns and makes the light THIS |
smoke is cloud ot small dust of bits of
or carbon. These aie made IA the |
fame, aud burned by il, and wh,le burning |
make the flame bright. They Me burned |
the moment they are made, bat The flame
goes on making more OF them; AMI that is
how the fame keeps bright.
These little grains Of carbon are made ia
the case of flame itself, where the strongest
heatls. The great heat separates them from
The gas that comes from the melted wax,
and as soon as they touch the non on the out
side OF the thin fame they bnIn. Ctrbun or
charcoal, is what causes the brightness Of all
lamps aud candles, as well as ga>iighi, hence
there must be carbon in what they are made
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