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When a candle burns, why does the top of wick glow if bottom of flame is hottest?

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When a candle burns, why does the top of wick glow if bottom of flame is hottest?



Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara
Planned maintenance scheduled April 17/18, 2019 at 00:00UTC (8:00pm US/Eastern)Entropy and enthalpy change on mixing liquidsChemical equilibrium for simultaneous dissociation reactionsDoes the potential energy increase when temperature is raised?Spectrometry in Chemistry & Flame Test LabWhy does lead nitrate powder on heating starts turning yellow from the top rather than from the bottom?Is the flame temperature of a burning fuel affected by pre-heating the fuel?Why might copper have a lower heat capacity than lithium according to the Shomate Equation?Colored Flames ExperimentWhy does Magnesium burn hotter than other Group II metals?AP Chem Question about Reaction Rate - Confused?










4












$begingroup$


Totally an elementary question.



Staring at a candle, it appears that the bottom of the wick is dark whereas the top glows. However the bottom of the flame (the blue) is the hottest.



Is the reason for this that the concentration of liquid wax is greater at the bottom, offsetting the greater temperature at the bottom?



enter image description here










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  • $begingroup$
    The yellow part of a flame is coloured by glowing tar/char and wick particles.
    $endgroup$
    – Karl
    1 hour ago















4












$begingroup$


Totally an elementary question.



Staring at a candle, it appears that the bottom of the wick is dark whereas the top glows. However the bottom of the flame (the blue) is the hottest.



Is the reason for this that the concentration of liquid wax is greater at the bottom, offsetting the greater temperature at the bottom?



enter image description here










share|improve this question









New contributor




ZAR is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.







$endgroup$











  • $begingroup$
    The yellow part of a flame is coloured by glowing tar/char and wick particles.
    $endgroup$
    – Karl
    1 hour ago













4












4








4


1



$begingroup$


Totally an elementary question.



Staring at a candle, it appears that the bottom of the wick is dark whereas the top glows. However the bottom of the flame (the blue) is the hottest.



Is the reason for this that the concentration of liquid wax is greater at the bottom, offsetting the greater temperature at the bottom?



enter image description here










share|improve this question









New contributor




ZAR is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.







$endgroup$




Totally an elementary question.



Staring at a candle, it appears that the bottom of the wick is dark whereas the top glows. However the bottom of the flame (the blue) is the hottest.



Is the reason for this that the concentration of liquid wax is greater at the bottom, offsetting the greater temperature at the bottom?



enter image description here







thermodynamics heat combustion light






share|improve this question









New contributor




ZAR is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question









New contributor




ZAR is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 40 mins ago









A.K.

10.2k62671




10.2k62671






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asked 1 hour ago









ZARZAR

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New contributor





ZAR is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






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Check out our Code of Conduct.











  • $begingroup$
    The yellow part of a flame is coloured by glowing tar/char and wick particles.
    $endgroup$
    – Karl
    1 hour ago
















  • $begingroup$
    The yellow part of a flame is coloured by glowing tar/char and wick particles.
    $endgroup$
    – Karl
    1 hour ago















$begingroup$
The yellow part of a flame is coloured by glowing tar/char and wick particles.
$endgroup$
– Karl
1 hour ago




$begingroup$
The yellow part of a flame is coloured by glowing tar/char and wick particles.
$endgroup$
– Karl
1 hour ago










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















2












$begingroup$

Because fire is not the same thing as light.



Michael Faraday did a wonderful job of explaining how the candle works, and I direct to look at it (there are also Youtubes videos giving a modern take on this work) if you're interested.



In short, the candle produces light, not because it is hot, but because it is sooty. The particles of soot glow when they are hot (blackbody radiation), and that's what produces light.



If you take a flame where the fuel is very well-mixed with oxygen and the flame that's produced is not sooty, it does not glow like a candle even though it's very hot. This is precisely why Bunsen burners are used in a laboratory. They give a hot but non-illuminating flame that's great for doing analysis.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    I just browsed a bit in the Faraday lecture for children: wonderful!
    $endgroup$
    – Karsten Theis
    16 mins ago


















2












$begingroup$

The top of the wick glows because it is hotter than the bottom. The wick temperature does not have to be the same as the flame temperature.



For a candle, the wick burning isn't the intended purpose of the wick; light comes from burning wax (more generally: fuel), you want to burn the wax not the wick. Rather the purpose purpose of a wick is to help fuel evaporate by soaking up wax and allowing the radiant energy from the flame to heat the wax causing it to evaporate and burn also.



As wax travels up the wick, it evaporates and less wax is in the wick the further up you go. Eventually the dries up and the radiant energy is heating a wick without any wax. Eventually the wick get so hot at the tip, that it will glow due to black-body radiation.



In summary: though the blue is the hottest part of the flame, the wick can evaporate wax to cool towards the bottom. There is no wax at the top and thus as the radiant energy of the flame causes it to get hotter until it starts to glow.



Extra: I will note that the top of the wick does not burn when lit as the gas around the wick has too little oxygen to burn (unless the wick slumps out side the flame). When you blow out the candle the low oxygen environment of a flame is gone and thus the hot wick will smolder.






share|improve this answer









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    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

    votes








    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    2












    $begingroup$

    Because fire is not the same thing as light.



    Michael Faraday did a wonderful job of explaining how the candle works, and I direct to look at it (there are also Youtubes videos giving a modern take on this work) if you're interested.



    In short, the candle produces light, not because it is hot, but because it is sooty. The particles of soot glow when they are hot (blackbody radiation), and that's what produces light.



    If you take a flame where the fuel is very well-mixed with oxygen and the flame that's produced is not sooty, it does not glow like a candle even though it's very hot. This is precisely why Bunsen burners are used in a laboratory. They give a hot but non-illuminating flame that's great for doing analysis.






    share|improve this answer









    $endgroup$












    • $begingroup$
      I just browsed a bit in the Faraday lecture for children: wonderful!
      $endgroup$
      – Karsten Theis
      16 mins ago















    2












    $begingroup$

    Because fire is not the same thing as light.



    Michael Faraday did a wonderful job of explaining how the candle works, and I direct to look at it (there are also Youtubes videos giving a modern take on this work) if you're interested.



    In short, the candle produces light, not because it is hot, but because it is sooty. The particles of soot glow when they are hot (blackbody radiation), and that's what produces light.



    If you take a flame where the fuel is very well-mixed with oxygen and the flame that's produced is not sooty, it does not glow like a candle even though it's very hot. This is precisely why Bunsen burners are used in a laboratory. They give a hot but non-illuminating flame that's great for doing analysis.






    share|improve this answer









    $endgroup$












    • $begingroup$
      I just browsed a bit in the Faraday lecture for children: wonderful!
      $endgroup$
      – Karsten Theis
      16 mins ago













    2












    2








    2





    $begingroup$

    Because fire is not the same thing as light.



    Michael Faraday did a wonderful job of explaining how the candle works, and I direct to look at it (there are also Youtubes videos giving a modern take on this work) if you're interested.



    In short, the candle produces light, not because it is hot, but because it is sooty. The particles of soot glow when they are hot (blackbody radiation), and that's what produces light.



    If you take a flame where the fuel is very well-mixed with oxygen and the flame that's produced is not sooty, it does not glow like a candle even though it's very hot. This is precisely why Bunsen burners are used in a laboratory. They give a hot but non-illuminating flame that's great for doing analysis.






    share|improve this answer









    $endgroup$



    Because fire is not the same thing as light.



    Michael Faraday did a wonderful job of explaining how the candle works, and I direct to look at it (there are also Youtubes videos giving a modern take on this work) if you're interested.



    In short, the candle produces light, not because it is hot, but because it is sooty. The particles of soot glow when they are hot (blackbody radiation), and that's what produces light.



    If you take a flame where the fuel is very well-mixed with oxygen and the flame that's produced is not sooty, it does not glow like a candle even though it's very hot. This is precisely why Bunsen burners are used in a laboratory. They give a hot but non-illuminating flame that's great for doing analysis.







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered 1 hour ago









    ZheZhe

    13.2k12650




    13.2k12650











    • $begingroup$
      I just browsed a bit in the Faraday lecture for children: wonderful!
      $endgroup$
      – Karsten Theis
      16 mins ago
















    • $begingroup$
      I just browsed a bit in the Faraday lecture for children: wonderful!
      $endgroup$
      – Karsten Theis
      16 mins ago















    $begingroup$
    I just browsed a bit in the Faraday lecture for children: wonderful!
    $endgroup$
    – Karsten Theis
    16 mins ago




    $begingroup$
    I just browsed a bit in the Faraday lecture for children: wonderful!
    $endgroup$
    – Karsten Theis
    16 mins ago











    2












    $begingroup$

    The top of the wick glows because it is hotter than the bottom. The wick temperature does not have to be the same as the flame temperature.



    For a candle, the wick burning isn't the intended purpose of the wick; light comes from burning wax (more generally: fuel), you want to burn the wax not the wick. Rather the purpose purpose of a wick is to help fuel evaporate by soaking up wax and allowing the radiant energy from the flame to heat the wax causing it to evaporate and burn also.



    As wax travels up the wick, it evaporates and less wax is in the wick the further up you go. Eventually the dries up and the radiant energy is heating a wick without any wax. Eventually the wick get so hot at the tip, that it will glow due to black-body radiation.



    In summary: though the blue is the hottest part of the flame, the wick can evaporate wax to cool towards the bottom. There is no wax at the top and thus as the radiant energy of the flame causes it to get hotter until it starts to glow.



    Extra: I will note that the top of the wick does not burn when lit as the gas around the wick has too little oxygen to burn (unless the wick slumps out side the flame). When you blow out the candle the low oxygen environment of a flame is gone and thus the hot wick will smolder.






    share|improve this answer









    $endgroup$

















      2












      $begingroup$

      The top of the wick glows because it is hotter than the bottom. The wick temperature does not have to be the same as the flame temperature.



      For a candle, the wick burning isn't the intended purpose of the wick; light comes from burning wax (more generally: fuel), you want to burn the wax not the wick. Rather the purpose purpose of a wick is to help fuel evaporate by soaking up wax and allowing the radiant energy from the flame to heat the wax causing it to evaporate and burn also.



      As wax travels up the wick, it evaporates and less wax is in the wick the further up you go. Eventually the dries up and the radiant energy is heating a wick without any wax. Eventually the wick get so hot at the tip, that it will glow due to black-body radiation.



      In summary: though the blue is the hottest part of the flame, the wick can evaporate wax to cool towards the bottom. There is no wax at the top and thus as the radiant energy of the flame causes it to get hotter until it starts to glow.



      Extra: I will note that the top of the wick does not burn when lit as the gas around the wick has too little oxygen to burn (unless the wick slumps out side the flame). When you blow out the candle the low oxygen environment of a flame is gone and thus the hot wick will smolder.






      share|improve this answer









      $endgroup$















        2












        2








        2





        $begingroup$

        The top of the wick glows because it is hotter than the bottom. The wick temperature does not have to be the same as the flame temperature.



        For a candle, the wick burning isn't the intended purpose of the wick; light comes from burning wax (more generally: fuel), you want to burn the wax not the wick. Rather the purpose purpose of a wick is to help fuel evaporate by soaking up wax and allowing the radiant energy from the flame to heat the wax causing it to evaporate and burn also.



        As wax travels up the wick, it evaporates and less wax is in the wick the further up you go. Eventually the dries up and the radiant energy is heating a wick without any wax. Eventually the wick get so hot at the tip, that it will glow due to black-body radiation.



        In summary: though the blue is the hottest part of the flame, the wick can evaporate wax to cool towards the bottom. There is no wax at the top and thus as the radiant energy of the flame causes it to get hotter until it starts to glow.



        Extra: I will note that the top of the wick does not burn when lit as the gas around the wick has too little oxygen to burn (unless the wick slumps out side the flame). When you blow out the candle the low oxygen environment of a flame is gone and thus the hot wick will smolder.






        share|improve this answer









        $endgroup$



        The top of the wick glows because it is hotter than the bottom. The wick temperature does not have to be the same as the flame temperature.



        For a candle, the wick burning isn't the intended purpose of the wick; light comes from burning wax (more generally: fuel), you want to burn the wax not the wick. Rather the purpose purpose of a wick is to help fuel evaporate by soaking up wax and allowing the radiant energy from the flame to heat the wax causing it to evaporate and burn also.



        As wax travels up the wick, it evaporates and less wax is in the wick the further up you go. Eventually the dries up and the radiant energy is heating a wick without any wax. Eventually the wick get so hot at the tip, that it will glow due to black-body radiation.



        In summary: though the blue is the hottest part of the flame, the wick can evaporate wax to cool towards the bottom. There is no wax at the top and thus as the radiant energy of the flame causes it to get hotter until it starts to glow.



        Extra: I will note that the top of the wick does not burn when lit as the gas around the wick has too little oxygen to burn (unless the wick slumps out side the flame). When you blow out the candle the low oxygen environment of a flame is gone and thus the hot wick will smolder.







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered 38 mins ago









        A.K.A.K.

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