I know this sounds like a silly question but when a candle bought at Yankee Candle burns away, and the jar is empty, is there a waxy coating on the walls of my room? Would one eventually over the years, be able to notice the waxy coating in the room? Are we breathing in wax while the candles burning? I have a lot of questions just like a five-year-old LOL. Someone please help.
In: Chemistry
Combustion, that is, burning, is a chemical reaction in which oxygen atoms (O2) bond with the various parts of organic matter (fuel). Organic matter is made up of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms (C2H3O2 or something like that) and, invariably some other stuff (which in the context of fuel would be impurities). Now, it takes a good amount of energy to hold together organic compounds, so when the oxygen rips it apart to bond with its various parts, that energy is released as heat and light.
When the oxygen binds with the carbon and hydrogen atoms in the fuel, it makes carbon dioxide gas (CO2) and water vapor (H2O). If you have a super efficient fuel, the reaction will be complete and that’s all you’ll get (“complete combustion”), but generally, some organic matter will not react and some impurities may be present and that will show up as ash and soot.
In anticipation of the next question, fuel can’t just react with oxygen in the air. It needs heat to break up the organic compounds and allow them to bond with oxygen (“activation energy”) so you need to put a flame to the fuel to light it and then the heat it produces keeps the reaction going (“chain reaction”). The chain reaction will keep the reaction going until a necessary element is removed- fuel, oxygen or heat.
TLDR – a burning candle produces water, carbon dioxide and particles of impurities and incomplete combustion.
Latest Answers