Thursday, January 20, 2005
Burning Scientific Question #2
Where does the wax go when you burn a candle?
We all know that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. But when I burn a candle for long enough, the wax not only melts, but it actually decreases in mass. The best answer I can come up for this off the top of my head is that somehow the wax evaporates or something and goes off into the air. But you wouldn't think that even a microscopic wax particle could get too far, and although you get smoke marks on the wall above a candle, you don't get waxy buildup. Maybe there's a chemical reaction, converting the wax into its component gaseous elements. I don't know. That's why it's a burning scientific question.
We all know that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. But when I burn a candle for long enough, the wax not only melts, but it actually decreases in mass. The best answer I can come up for this off the top of my head is that somehow the wax evaporates or something and goes off into the air. But you wouldn't think that even a microscopic wax particle could get too far, and although you get smoke marks on the wall above a candle, you don't get waxy buildup. Maybe there's a chemical reaction, converting the wax into its component gaseous elements. I don't know. That's why it's a burning scientific question.
