I’m currently sitting at the kitchen table eating. in front of me is my replica roman lamp that i like to use just because it’s cozy. every time i use it i think the same thing,,, HOW does the fire stay at the tip of the wick?? i understand the oil largely keeps it from burning the wick itself, but still,,, if the vegetable oil is the fuel,,, why doesn’t the fire spread anyway?? shouldn’t it spread down the wick and into the oil container part?? is it because heat rises and the wick is tilted?? would it act different if the lamp held the wick fully horizontally?? and if oiled wicks can’t burn downwards,,, why can matches do it??? is it the constant flow of new oil to the tip??
In: Chemistry
The wick also burns, and it burns easier because of the oil. But what is burning is the fumes from the oil. The wick allows the oil to heat up and fume at the tip while the rest of the oil stays below critical temperature. Without the wick the whole body of oil would have to heat up to the point of fuming(boiling) before igniting. Oil is very good at absorbing heat and would not burn on its own. The wick burns but poorly (smoulders, really) but soaks up the oil and isolates it from the rest of the oil in the candle, allowing it to reach a higher temperature and fume.
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