Is it possible to light a candle without touching the flame directly to the wick? Why or why not? Materials What happens when you hold a piece of glass in different parts of the flame? What do these results say about the process of burning wax in a candle? 6. Can you prove that the candle produces water when it burns? 5. Can you prove that the candle produces carbon dioxide when it burns? 4. Can you prove that the candle needs oxygen in order to burn? 3. What happens to the candle when you light it?Ģ. In fact, the wax itself is burning as a vapor or gas. Finally, I learned that neither the solid wax, nor the melted wax, nor the wick burns when a candle is lit. I learned that if I hold an object in the flame it becomes covered with soot which is unburned carbon fuel. I found out that the candle needs oxygen to burn, that it produces carbon dioxide similar to the way that my body produces carbon dioxide, and that a candle produces water as a second waste product. However, that's true every time you burn the candle, not just the first time, so follow this rule every time you light it.In this lab I observed the burning of a candle very closely. Make sure to read and follow any instructions the manufacturer provides for your specific candle, and don't burn your candle longer than the recommended time on the label (if there is one).īy doing this the first time you light a new candle, you make it so the wax will " remember" how far from the wick it melted the first time and will melt the same way again the next time you light it. Not every candle needs that long to melt the top layer of wax. Powers recommends burning your candle for at least 3 to 4 hours to "help ensure a full wax melt" and prevent tunneling. Not only will this release as much scent as possible but it also will stop tunneling in its tracks. When you burn your candle, leave it burning long enough to allow the top surface of the wax to melt completely, from the wick all the way to the edge of the candle's container. This is the most important step to avoid tunneling. Next, let the top layer of wax melt to the edge to keep the candle from tunneling After the first time you light the candle, you can break off the tip of the wick before lighting the candle again to prevent debris from getting into the wax. If your candle out of the box has a wood wick - an eighth to a quarter of an inch high - you can skip trimming it before the first burn, said Kris Powers, the lab manager for Newell Brands Home Fragrance Test Laboratory (Newell Brands owns Yankee Candles, Chesapeake Bay Candles and WoodWick). You'll want to trim the wick to 1/4 to 1/8 of an inch with scissors or a wick cutter. If you spent upward of $40 on a Boy Smells candle or $70 for a Diptyque candle, you're going to want to get all the aroma out of it you can.įor more tips, here's the best way to travel with contact lenses and how to cut a cake with floss. If you keep on burning your candle that's tunneling, you'll be left with a wick that burns up quickly and a bunch of wax that never melted and therefore never gave off any scent. Once a candle has started to tunnel, it will continue to do so every time you light it (unless you fix it I'll show you how to do that, below). There's actually a right and wrong way to burn a candle to get your money's worth.īy burning a candle the correct way, you can avoid tunneling, where the wick burns a tunnel down the middle of a candle, leaving a thick ring of unmelted wax around the outside edge. This story is part of Try This, CNET's collection of simple tips to improve your life, fast.īurning a candle seems dead simple - light the wick, let the wax melt and, if you have a scented candle, enjoy the aroma, right? Well, not so fast.
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