Candle Lab Experiment
Candle race
Purpose
To determine if color factors into how quickly a candle will burn
Additional information
Candles have some rather interesting chemistry (as you 'll find about in this experiment). Have some fun and find out what color candle burns the fastest by conducting your very own candle race!
Required materials
5 candles of varying colors, preferably white, pink, yellow, green, and blue (must be same brand and size)
Ruler
Marker or Sharpie
Matches or lighter
Scissors
Clay, Putty, or Play dough
Ceramic plate
Stop Watch
Pencil
Notebook (to record results)
Estimated Experiment Time
About 1 to 2 hours
Step-By-Step Procedure
1. Using your scissors, cut the wicks of each candle so that they are identical in length. Use your ruler to …show more content…
The candles give off light and sometimes heat. It was also used as a method of keeping time. Wax is a block of chemical compounds mixed together to make the wax. There are two main chemicals used to make the wax Paraffin wax and Beeswax. A wick is usually made of braided cotton used to burn in a candle or an oil lamp.The wick of the candle influences the burning of the candle. Candle wicks are also made out of either the braided cotton or the wick could be rolled in bees wax. There are many different kinds of candles like jar candles that you can use in your daily life. Floating candles can be put in a pool or a water source if say you want a romantic evening. Outdoor candles are candle that you use outdoors and they are bigger candles. There are also birthday candles that are colorful and usually very skinny.Before electricity candles were the main source of light and used as heat for homes or buildings. Its also used for giving off a scent in a room and its used in case of an …show more content…
The first three candles to burn out were the first three candles to burn out in all trials. The last three candles went out in the same order, red, yellow and then white, in every trial. Another pattern that I noticed was that the color blue and derivations of blue burned the hottest; they left the least amount of wax residue in the candle holder.
I was very easily able to answer my experimental question; "how does the color of a candle effect the time it takes for the candle to burn out?" The answer I came to was that darker colored candles burn faster. the opposite goes for the lighter colored candles.
The only problems or errors I came across were uncontrollable variables such as wicks burning differently, uncontrolled airflow and slightly different levels of wax. I think that the experiment could be improved by running more trials and by having a more controlled room with no one entering and causing air pressure disturbance for the burn.
This experiment could be used to help anyone who is looking to buy candles for, say, a power outage. These people are going to want candles that will burn for a long time so that they can have light. Without this experiment they would not know which candles to
Purpose
To determine if color factors into how quickly a candle will burn
Additional information
Candles have some rather interesting chemistry (as you 'll find about in this experiment). Have some fun and find out what color candle burns the fastest by conducting your very own candle race!
Required materials
5 candles of varying colors, preferably white, pink, yellow, green, and blue (must be same brand and size)
Ruler
Marker or Sharpie
Matches or lighter
Scissors
Clay, Putty, or Play dough
Ceramic plate
Stop Watch
Pencil
Notebook (to record results)
Estimated Experiment Time
About 1 to 2 hours
Step-By-Step Procedure
1. Using your scissors, cut the wicks of each candle so that they are identical in length. Use your ruler to …show more content…
The candles give off light and sometimes heat. It was also used as a method of keeping time. Wax is a block of chemical compounds mixed together to make the wax. There are two main chemicals used to make the wax Paraffin wax and Beeswax. A wick is usually made of braided cotton used to burn in a candle or an oil lamp.The wick of the candle influences the burning of the candle. Candle wicks are also made out of either the braided cotton or the wick could be rolled in bees wax. There are many different kinds of candles like jar candles that you can use in your daily life. Floating candles can be put in a pool or a water source if say you want a romantic evening. Outdoor candles are candle that you use outdoors and they are bigger candles. There are also birthday candles that are colorful and usually very skinny.Before electricity candles were the main source of light and used as heat for homes or buildings. Its also used for giving off a scent in a room and its used in case of an …show more content…
The first three candles to burn out were the first three candles to burn out in all trials. The last three candles went out in the same order, red, yellow and then white, in every trial. Another pattern that I noticed was that the color blue and derivations of blue burned the hottest; they left the least amount of wax residue in the candle holder.
I was very easily able to answer my experimental question; "how does the color of a candle effect the time it takes for the candle to burn out?" The answer I came to was that darker colored candles burn faster. the opposite goes for the lighter colored candles.
The only problems or errors I came across were uncontrollable variables such as wicks burning differently, uncontrolled airflow and slightly different levels of wax. I think that the experiment could be improved by running more trials and by having a more controlled room with no one entering and causing air pressure disturbance for the burn.
This experiment could be used to help anyone who is looking to buy candles for, say, a power outage. These people are going to want candles that will burn for a long time so that they can have light. Without this experiment they would not know which candles to