SCIENCE OF

CANDLES
B R E N N A N A R M K N E C H T, T R E B A R T O N Y,
JUSTIN HIGGINS, CLAUDIA WHITE
 HISTORY AND USAGE OF CANDLES
Wicked candles are seen as early as 3000 BCE in Ancient Egypt as well as Ancient Rome,
which was credited with the invention of the wicked candle
Candles were most often used as a source of light
Candles offered a sufficient light source when exploring places lacking in natural light, such as
caverns and caves
Colonial Women offered the first major contribution to candle-making in the U.S when they
discovered that boiling berries made a sweet-smelling wax that burned cleanly
The growth of the whaling industry in the late 18th Century assisted the Candle industry
greatly because of the readily available quantities of oil
The oil had no odor when burned and offered a significantly better light
This improvement to the candle-making process created a sustainable light source which
enabled many other technological improvements that would soon come to follow
Now, the modern use of candles is fond primarily in religion, dcor, parties, and other special
occasions
CANDLE SCIENCE HOW IT WORKS
When the candle burns, it utilizes the hydrocarbons that
were stored in the wax, and a chemical reaction occurs.
Water vapor and carbon dioxide are produced in the
reaction, which creates the light and heat.
On the smaller scale, the Water vapor and carbon dioxide
are in an excited state due to the heat, or increase in kinetic
energy, created in the reaction, so as they come back to the
ground state, the electrons in the molecules emit light as they
are returning to the ground state.
LIGHT SPECTRUM OF CANDLES

Often times the color of the flame is

dependent of the temperature
As the flame increases in temperature, it
emits light in shorter wavelengths
Red: 525-1000 C
Orange: 1100-1200
White: 1300-1400
Light Blue: 1500
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Candle Science - National Candle Association." National Candle Association. N.p., n.d.Web. 14
Nov. 2016.
"The Evolution of the Modern Day Candle. Timeline." Timetoast. N.p., 13 Jan. 2012. Web. 14 Nov.
2016.
"Excited State in Chemistry: Definition & Overview - Video & Lesson Transcript |
Study.com." Study.com. N.p., n.d.Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
"History - National Candle Association." National Candle Association. Kellan Communications,
n.d.Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
Maggio, Maggie. Fire II: Color and Temperature - Maggie Maggio. Maggie Maggio, 26 Aug. 2011,
maggiemaggio.com/color/2011/08/fire-ii-color-and-temperature/.
Netting, Ruth. Visible Light. NASA, NASA, 13 Aug. 2014,
missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/09_visiblelight.html.
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TIME AND
ATTENTION!