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
What The paradox said, plus lack of oxygen. Fires need fuel, oxygen, and heat. The fire can’t go *inside* the lamp because there’s not enough oxygen in there. The wick surrounded by open air has enough oxygen to keep burning.
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