Excelet

Developing a Mathematical Model for a Burning Candle

Can we develop a simple mathematical
model for the burning of a candle?

time

Click on the tabs to navigate!!!

(11 tabs in all)

Objectives: With this Excelet, we will

1. simulate and animate the burning of a candle to generate data;
2. develop a mathematical model from the height versus time data;
3. simulate error in the data and its influence on the model;
4. explore other variables that influence the rate of burning, and;
5. examine other ways of treating the data.
modified 2010 version

Burning a Candle

Click to have time pass and collect data

starting

time passing =
0
to restart type in zero
As time passes, what happens to the candle?
11

1
2
9
82
71
61

Height of candle

10

candle 1
0
0
10
10
0

3
4
4
3
3

candle 2
0
0
5
5
0

1.5
3.5

5
4

rate
3 1

0.2

rate 2

0.1

2
1
0

expt no.

Candle 1

Candle 2

Experiment 1

cm/time

flame
10.5
5.25
Height, cm

12

candle 1

starting

candle 2

height =

10

cm

height =

cm

height =

10

cm

height =

cm

12
10
8
6
4

Experiment
2Experiment
Experiment
0
Experiment
0
1

time
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
2
3

candle 1
10
9.8
9.6
9.4
9.2
9
8.8
8.6
8.4
8.2
8
4 time
5

candle 2
10
5
-2
4.9
-2
4.8
-2
4.7
-2
4.6
-2
4.5
-2
4.4
-2
4.3
-2
4.2
-2
4.1
-2
4
7
8

Select a another experiment !

How do you determine the burn rate for the candle?
What does the y-intercept on the graph represent?
Sinex 2009
modified 2010

5
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
10

Adjustable Burn Rate

set time for green tracer line

starting

candle 1

starting

candle 2

height =

10

cm

height =

cm

height =

10

cm

height =

cm

Observation at tracer line setting

111

102

Height of candle

92
8

1
1

7
6

candle 1
0
0
10
10
0

3
4
4
3
3

candle 2
0
0
5
5
0

1.5
3.5

5
4

rate 1
3
2
1
0

rate 2
tracer line
0
11
0
6
Candle 1
0
0

cm/time

flame
10.5
5.25

12
10

Height, cm

12

6
4
2

Candle 2

What does the value of the

x-intercept represent?

Set the burn rates:

time
0
1
f(x) = - 1x + 10
2
3
4
5
f(x) = - 1x + 6
5
7
8
9
10
0
1
2
3

candle 1
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
4 time
5

100
burn rate for candle 1
1
cm/time

candle 2
5
4
3
2
1
0
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
7
8

10

100
burn rate for candle 2
1
cm/time
Sinex 2009

The Behavior of the Rate of the Candle Burning

How does the rate behave as the candle burns down?

50
0.2
45
0.2
- 0.2x + 50
40
0.2
35
0.2
30
0.2
25
0.2
20
0.2
15
0.2
10
0.2
100
150
200
5
0.2 250 300
0 time 0.2

cm/time
0.25

initial height, Ho =

tracers on each graph

height
125
25
rate
125
0.2
25

0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0

50

cm
0.25
0.2

rate 0.15
0.2
0.1

rate

height

60
0.00
50
25.00
f(x) =
50.00
40
75.00
30
100.00
125.00
20
150.00
10
175.00
0
200.00
50
225.00 0
250.00

0.2

rate

burn rate =

time step =
25
0.05
scales to completely burn candle
0
50 100 time
150 200 250 time
300 step for scroll0bar 10
50

125
time

20

2.5

30

height

adjust time of tracer point

burn the candle ----->
How would you describe the behavior of the rate as a function of height?

Sinex 2010

40

50

60

Real-world Data

time
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

height
10.0
9.2
9.3
8.2
8.6
7.6
7.0
6.3
5.9
4.9

10

5.2

height, cm

height =

10

cm

burn rate =

0.5

cm/time

Now consider adding

some error
(one at a time)

height
10
9.5
9
f(x) = - 0.5163636364x + 10.0618181818
8.5
R = 0.9651910852
8
ruler error
7.5
0.04
7
6.5
6
5.5

12.0
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0

random error
0.6
none
60
increase
As random error is
added, what happens
to the data?
As random error is

0.0
0

5
time

10

The green line is the line of best fit to the data, a linear regression line.
R2 is a measure of the goodness-of-fit of the regression line to the

added, how does R2

respond?
systematic error
51
0
+

experimental data. A perfect fit (no error) has R 2 = 1.

As systematic error is
added, how does
the line respond?

Sinex 2009

Exploring the Burn Rate of a Candle

diameter =

cm

density =

0.85
85

g/cm3
Let's consider a
couple of variables
to see how they
influence the burn
rate.

0.20
0.15

burn rate

mass loss
rate
burn rate
(g/minute) (mm/minute)
0.05
0.03
0.10
0.06
0.15
0.09
0.20
0.12
0.25
0.15
0.30
0.18

5
50

0.10
0.05

0.03
0.06
0.09
0.12
0.15
0.18

-5.00
-5.00
-5.00
-5.00
-5.00
-5.00

How does the candle's

diameter influence
the burn rate?

0.00
0.05

0.10

0.15

mass loss rate

0.20

0.25

0
comparison
line

From: Hamins and others (2005) Characterization of Candle Flames,

J. Fire Protection Engineering 15, 265-285. Click here

0.30

How does the density

of the candle wax
influence the burn
rate?
How does temperature
influence density?

Sinex 2009

Comparing the Length Burned versus the Height

height =
time
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

height
10.0
9.8
9.6
9.4
9.2
9.0
8.8
8.6
8.4
8.2
8.0
cm

length burned
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
cm

12
10
8
6
4
2

cm
10.0
9.8
9.6
9.4
9.2
9.0
8.8
8.6
8.4
8.2
8.0

10

cm

1
2
2
1
1

h e ig h t/ le n g th b u rn e d

The length burned of the candle

burn rate =

0
0
9 12.0
9 10.0
0 8.0

height
f(x) = - 0.2x

Image of candle
at time of tracer line
What kind of relationship does
the length burned as a function
of time show?

cm/time

1
2
2
1
+ 10
1

is the part that has vaporized.

10
10
9Linear (height)
9
10

6.0
4.0

5
5

2.0

0
10.5

f(x) = 0.2x - 1.33897934774369E-016

0.0
0

0.2

time =

5
time

10

set time for green tracer line

What does the slope of the length burned as a function time represent?

Sinex 2009
modified 2010

How does temperature influence the rate of burning of a candle?

height, ho =

15

cm
15.0
13.7
12.4
11.1
9.8
8.5
7.2
5.9
4.6
3.3
2.0

16.0
14.0
12.0

height, cm

Time, min Height, cm

0
14.8
1
13.6
2
12.3
3
11.1
4
9.8
5
8.5
6
7.3
7
6.0
8
4.8
9
3.5
10
2.3

10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
0

burn rate =

1.3

cm/min

for room temperature (300 K)

-2.0
-2.0
-2.0
-2.0
-2.0
-2.0
-2.0
-2.0
-2.0
-2.0
-2.0

4
5
6
time, minutes

Change the temperature

200
K
lower

higher

How does a temperature

change influence the
burn rate?

10

burn rate @ new temperature

1.26
cm/min

comparison 0
line at room temperature

thermal expansion changes the density by a small amount

Sinex 2010
mp and linear thermal expansion coefficient from http://www.diracdelta.co.uk/science/source/p/a/paraffin%20wax/source.html

Mass Loss versus Height - Which should be measured?

How are the mass loss and height of the candle related during burning?

height, cm
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

mass, g
0.00
0.17
0.33
0.50
0.67
0.83
1.00
1.17
1.34
1.50
1.67

mass, g

diameter, d =

0.5
cm

density, D =

The math

Since they are directly

proportional:

2.00

f(x) = 0.1668971097x

1.50

for a specific change

in height
1.0
cm

1.00

here is the change

in mass
0.17
g

0.50
0.00
0

4
5 cm 6
height,

slope =
Estimate density of candle:

0.85
g/cm3

mo =

6.7
g

d=
D=

0.17
1
cm
0.85

10

g/cm
ho =

10
cm

g/cm3

Sinex 2010

Consider the following questions:

1. Since the graphs are linear, what does this infer about the rate of burning of the candle?

2. Suppose that during the burning of the candle, the rate of burning was to increase as the candle burns.
How would this influence the graph?

3. Here is some data for a candle burning, plot a graph and determine the rate of burning
and the initial height of the candle.
Time, minutes Height, cm
2
15.3
3
14.7
4
14.1
5
13.5
7
12.3
10
10.5

How long will the candle burn?

Explain how you determined this.

4. How do you think the rate of burning of a tapered candle would behave? Sketch a graph.

Sinex 2009

More questions:
5. Use the burn rate data given below to address the questions:
candle type
soywax (untrimmed)
beeswax
paraffin

burn rate, g/hr

4.50
3.28
5.08

from: Rezaei and others (2002) Combustion Characteristics of Candles Made from Hydrogenated Soybean Oil,
Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society 79 (8) 803-808.
These rates were determine for 200-g candle of each wax type.
Which candle would burn the longest amount of time?
What is the total burn time for each candle? Explain how you determined and/or calculated this.

Sinex 2010