Why does wind cause a flame to flicker or go out?

Question

Why does wind cause a flame to flicker or go out?

In: Physics

Answer 1

Same reason that blowing on it can cause a flame to go out.

What’s burning in a flame is often not the solid or liquid fuel that you can see, but a gas. For instance, the flame of a wax candle is actually burning a tiny cloud of wax vapor. The heat from the flame cause more wax to melt, draw up into the wick and then vaporize, which keeps feeding the flame with more fuel.

Fast-moving air can blow the cloud of gas away from the heat source, while simultaneously cooling the wick to a point where it cannot vaporize more wax or reignite any remaining vapor.