Brooke Martin
Blowing out a candle is a simple task, but it can also be done using science. A candle needs three things to sustain a flame: fuel, oxygen, and heat. When you blow on a candle, you dilute the hot wax vapour, cooling it below the point where the wax and air molecules can react. This is why carbon dioxide can be used to extinguish a candle. When you pour carbon dioxide onto a candle, it displaces the oxygen surrounding the candle, suffocating the flame.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What is needed | Baking soda, vinegar, a glass, and a candle |
| Process | Mix baking soda and vinegar to create carbon dioxide in the glass. Put your hand over the glass to keep the carbon dioxide from mixing with the outside air. Pour the carbon dioxide from the glass onto the candle to put out the flame. |
| Why it works | Carbon dioxide is heavier than air and suffocates the flame by displacing oxygen. |
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What You'll Learn
Mix baking soda and vinegar to create carbon dioxide
Mixing baking soda and vinegar is a fun and easy way to create carbon dioxide. This simple experiment can be done at home and is a great way to learn about the properties of gases and chemical reactions. Here is a step-by-step guide to creating carbon dioxide by mixing baking soda and vinegar.
First, gather your materials. You will need baking soda, vinegar, a glass or bottle, a teaspoon, and a candle. You may also want to have a funnel on hand. The vinegar used in this experiment is typically white vinegar, which contains ethanoic acid. The scientific name for baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, and it is the solid component of the mixture.
Now, it's time to start mixing! Pour the vinegar into your glass or bottle, filling it about one-quarter to one-third of the way full. Then, add the baking soda. You can use a teaspoon to measure out a small amount, or you can add three or more teaspoons to create a fizzier mixture. The amount of baking soda you use will depend on the level of fizz you want to see.
As soon as you combine the vinegar and baking soda, a chemical reaction occurs, and you will see bubbles start to form. These bubbles are carbon dioxide gas! The reaction between the acetic acid in the vinegar and the sodium bicarbonate produces carbon dioxide, along with other byproducts like water, sodium ions, and acetate ions.
Once you have created your carbon dioxide gas, you can use it to blow out a candle. Simply pour the gas from your glass or bottle onto the candle flame. Since carbon dioxide is heavier than air, it will sink and displace the oxygen surrounding the candle. This will suffocate the flame, causing it to go out.
Remember to be careful when handling the materials and performing the experiment. Always supervise children if they are conducting the experiment. Enjoy your exploration of the fascinating world of chemistry!
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Pour the carbon dioxide onto the candle
To blow out a candle with carbon dioxide, you will need to mix baking soda and vinegar to create carbon dioxide in a glass. Put your hand over the glass to prevent the gas from escaping. When you are ready to blow out the candle, simply pour the carbon dioxide from the glass onto the candle. Make sure to avoid splashing any liquid on the flame. The flame will be extinguished by the invisible gas.
This works because carbon dioxide is heavier than air and will, therefore, sink and displace the oxygen surrounding the candle. This suffocates the flame, causing it to go out. This is similar to what happens when you blow on a candle, although when you blow on a candle, you are also forcing the heat away from the wick and diluting the hot wax vapour.
Another way to perform this trick is to pour the gas that you made into an empty glass and then pour the apparently empty glass over the candle flame. This will have the same effect as pouring the gas directly onto the candle.
You can also perform this candle trick using gas collected from the sublimation of dry ice (solid carbon dioxide).
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Carbon dioxide is heavier than air and suffocates the flame
Blowing out a candle may seem like a simple task, but it involves a complex interplay of physical and chemical processes. While it may seem counterintuitive, the carbon dioxide in our breath is not the primary factor in extinguishing a candle flame. In fact, our breath contains only about 4% carbon dioxide and 16% oxygen.
So, how does blowing out a candle work? When you forcefully blow on a candle, you create a stream of air that moves faster than the speed of the flame front. This rapid movement of air displaces the surrounding oxygen-containing air, which is essential for combustion. Additionally, the force of the blow moves the flame away from its fuel source, the wax, disrupting the chemical reaction.
However, it is possible to extinguish a candle flame using carbon dioxide specifically. In a fascinating science experiment, you can mix baking soda and vinegar to create carbon dioxide in a glass. The carbon dioxide will settle at the bottom of the glass because it is heavier than air. Then, by pouring this "air" onto the candle, you can suffocate the flame by displacing the oxygen it needs to sustain combustion.
This experiment demonstrates the critical role of oxygen in supporting a flame. A candle needs three things to sustain a flame: fuel, oxygen, and heat. When you remove the oxygen by replacing it with carbon dioxide, the flame cannot survive, and it goes out. So, while carbon dioxide itself may not be the primary mechanism when blowing out a candle with your breath, it certainly plays a crucial role in this fun science trick.
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A candle needs three things to sustain a flame: fuel, oxygen, and heat
A candle flame is produced when the fuel (wax) reaches its ignition point temperature. The flame hovers just over the wick, boiling the wax, which becomes a vapour that then burns. The wax vapour reacts with oxygen to produce the flame.
The act of blowing on a candle also disrupts the chemical reaction by simultaneously diluting and cooling the wax vapour below the point where the wax and air molecules can react. Blowing on a candle also blows the flame away from its fuel source. The flame burns out due to the lack of fuel.
Carbon dioxide can also be used to extinguish a candle flame. When you blow out a candle, your breath contains more carbon dioxide than it did when you inhaled the air, but there's still oxygen that can support wax combustion. However, if you pour carbon dioxide onto a candle flame, the carbon dioxide will displace the oxygen surrounding the candle, suffocating the flame.
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Blowing forcefully moves the flame away from its fuel source
Blowing out a candle is a common method of extinguishing it, but it is not the only way. One alternative method involves creating carbon dioxide by mixing baking soda and vinegar in a glass and then pouring the carbon dioxide onto the candle. The carbon dioxide suffocates the flame by displacing the oxygen surrounding the candle.
However, the focus here is on the traditional method of blowing out a candle. When a candle burns, the heat of the flame vaporises the wax, and the hot wax vapour reacts with oxygen to produce the flame. Thus, a candle needs three things to sustain a flame: fuel, oxygen, and heat. Blowing forcefully on a candle moves the flame away from its fuel source, causing it to go out. The speed of the exhaled air is faster than the speed of the flame front, which is why the flame moves away from the candle.
The force of the blow also disrupts the chemical reaction of the flame by diluting and cooling the hot wax vapour, which lowers the temperature below the point where the wax and air molecules can react. Therefore, the flame is deprived of both fuel and heat, causing it to extinguish. It is important to note that the oxygen level is not the primary factor in the flame dying away. In fact, if you blow softly, the flame may get more oxygen and burn more intensely.
Additionally, the act of blowing on a candle introduces a large mass that cannot be heated enough to sustain the fire. This is similar to how water is effective at extinguishing fires, as it provides a barrier between oxygen and the fuel after the system has cooled. Overall, the forceful blowing moves the flame away from its fuel source, disrupts the chemical reaction, and cools the system, resulting in the extinguishment of the candle.
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Frequently asked questions
Mix baking soda and vinegar to create carbon dioxide in a glass. Pour the carbon dioxide from the glass onto the candle to put out the flame.
Carbon dioxide is heavier than air and suffocates the flame by displacing oxygen.
You can collect carbon dioxide gas from the sublimation of dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) and pour it onto the candle. Alternatively, you can forcefully blow on the candle to move the flame away from its fuel source, causing it to burn out due to the lack of fuel.
While carbon dioxide is a component of exhaled air, it is not the primary factor in extinguishing a candle. The key components are the forceful movement of air and the displacement of oxygen.
