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
Wax is a hydrocarbon. It is comprised of molecules with a long, complex chain of hydrogen and carbon atoms.
Break apart those molecules, combine with oxygen, and you’re left with H2O (water, in the form of water vapor) plus CO2 (carbon dioxide). If the ratio of fuel to oxygen isn’t ideal, you end up with some CO (carbon monoxide) as well.
Water vapor, CO2, and CO are all gasses, so they all end up in the atmosphere.
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