Jessie Taylor
In a fascinating science experiment, a candle can be extinguished by pouring gas onto it. This is achieved by mixing baking soda and vinegar in a glass, which produces carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide, being heavier than air, sinks and replaces the oxygen-containing air around the candle flame, effectively suffocating it and causing the fire to go out. This simple trick showcases the fundamental requirements for fire, namely fuel, oxygen, and heat. By depriving the flame of oxygen, the fire is extinguished, leaving the candle wick smouldering.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What happens when you pour gas onto a candle? | The flame is extinguished. |
| How does it work? | The gas is carbon dioxide, which is heavier than air. It sinks and replaces the oxygen-containing air surrounding the candle, suffocating the flame. |
| What is the gas made from? | Baking soda and vinegar. |
| How much baking soda and vinegar is needed? | Two teaspoons of baking soda and two tablespoons of vinegar. |
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What You'll Learn
The candle will go out when you pour 'air' onto it
The candle will go out when you pour "air" onto it. This is a cool science magic trick that can be achieved by pouring carbon dioxide onto a lit candle.
To perform this trick, you will need a lit candle, a transparent glass, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), and vinegar (weak acetic acid). Firstly, place the candle on a flat surface and ensure it is securely in place. Then, take your glass and mix together equal amounts of baking soda and vinegar—approximately two tablespoons of each. The chemical reaction between these two substances will produce carbon dioxide gas.
Before pouring the mixture onto the candle, cover the glass with your hand to prevent the carbon dioxide from escaping. The carbon dioxide is heavier than air, so it will remain at the bottom of the glass. Now, carefully pour the carbon dioxide gas from the glass onto the candle flame. Be careful not to spill any liquid onto the flame, as this will not have the desired effect.
As the carbon dioxide is poured out, it will sink and displace the oxygen-containing air surrounding the candle. This removal of oxygen will cause the flame to be extinguished. The candle needs oxygen, fuel, and heat to sustain a flame. By removing the oxygen, the carbon dioxide "'suffocates' the flame", causing it to go out.
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The air is actually carbon dioxide
The air that is poured onto the candle is actually carbon dioxide. This is a great chemistry demonstration that can be performed as a magic trick. The trick works by mixing baking soda and vinegar in a glass, which produces carbon dioxide gas. This gas is heavier than air, so it sits at the bottom of the glass. When you pour the gas from the glass onto the candle, the carbon dioxide sinks and displaces the oxygen-containing air surrounding the flame. As the candle needs oxygen to sustain the flame, it is effectively suffocated and goes out.
The chemical reaction that occurs when you mix baking soda and vinegar produces carbon dioxide. This is the same gas that is exhaled when we breathe out and is produced when we burn a candle. When you light a candle, the heat of the flame melts the wax near the wick. This liquid wax is then drawn up the wick by capillary action and vaporises, breaking down into molecules of hydrogen and carbon. These molecules react with the oxygen in the air to create heat, light, water vapour, and carbon dioxide.
The blue area at the base of the flame is oxygen-rich and where the hydrocarbon molecules vaporise and break apart into hydrogen and carbon atoms. The hydrogen reacts with the oxygen to form water vapour, and some of the carbon burns to form carbon dioxide. The dark orange-brown region has less oxygen and is where the various forms of carbon continue to break down and form small, hardened carbon particles. These particles, along with the water vapour and carbon dioxide, are heated to around 1000 degrees Celsius as they rise.
The carbon dioxide produced by the chemical reaction of baking soda and vinegar is heavier than air, and so it sinks when poured out of the glass. This property of carbon dioxide allows it to push the oxygen and other molecules in the air out of the way as it sinks down over the flame and candle. As the oxygen is pushed away from the wick, it can no longer react with the wax, and the flame is extinguished.
This science trick is a fun way to demonstrate the properties of gases and the science behind combustion. It also highlights the importance of oxygen in sustaining a flame, as well as the role of fuel and heat.
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Carbon dioxide is heavier than air
Carbon dioxide is a product of the combustion of candle wax. When a candle burns, the heat of the flame melts the wax near the wick. The liquid wax is then drawn up the wick and vaporized, breaking down the hydrocarbons into molecules of hydrogen and carbon. These vaporized molecules react with oxygen from the air to create heat, light, water vapour, and carbon dioxide.
The key to this experiment is the density of carbon dioxide relative to air. Carbon dioxide molecules are heavier than air molecules, so they sink and push the oxygen away from the wick. Without oxygen, the flame cannot react with the wax, and it extinguishes.
This science trick demonstrates the fundamental requirements for a candle to sustain a flame: fuel, oxygen, and heat. By removing the oxygen component, the carbon dioxide effectively smothers the flame, showcasing the importance of each factor in the combustion process.
Additionally, this experiment highlights the unique behaviour of gases with different densities. Carbon dioxide's higher density compared to air allows it to displace the oxygen and create a temporary carbon dioxide-rich environment around the candle, providing an insightful glimpse into the complex dynamics of gases.
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The carbon dioxide sinks and displaces the oxygen
The process of combustion in a candle involves the wick drawing up melted wax, which vaporises and combines with oxygen in the air to form a flame. This flame then melts the top of the wax, which moves upward through the wick to be burnt, thus maintaining a constant flame. The combustion process creates heat, light, water vapour, and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide produced is lighter than oxygen, so it rises and escapes into the atmosphere.
When carbon dioxide gas is poured onto a candle, it sinks and displaces the oxygen-containing air surrounding the candle. This is because carbon dioxide molecules are heavier than oxygen molecules. As the oxygen is pushed away from the wick, it can no longer react with the wax, causing the flame to go out.
The carbon dioxide gas can be produced by mixing baking soda and vinegar, which can then be poured onto the candle to extinguish the flame. This is a simple science experiment or magic trick that can be performed to demonstrate the concept of combustion and the role of oxygen in sustaining a flame.
The carbon dioxide gas used in this experiment can also be sourced from the sublimation of dry ice, which is solid carbon dioxide. This experiment highlights the importance of oxygen in the combustion process and how its absence can immediately extinguish a flame.
Additionally, this experiment demonstrates the properties of carbon dioxide gas, particularly its density, which allows it to sink and displace the oxygen, ultimately "suffocating" the flame.
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The flame is extinguished
This is a simple science experiment that can be performed by mixing baking soda and vinegar in a glass to produce carbon dioxide gas. When poured onto the flame, the carbon dioxide gas will sink and replace the oxygenated air, causing the flame to be extinguished. It is important to note that only the gas should be poured onto the flame, as water will also put out the fire but in a less interesting way.
The colour of a candle flame is also indicative of the presence of oxygen. The blue zone at the base of the flame is oxygen-rich, where hydrocarbon molecules vaporize and break apart into hydrogen and carbon atoms. Above this is a small dark orange-brown section, where there is relatively little oxygen. The large yellow region is what we typically associate with candle flames, and at the bottom of this zone, the formation of carbon (soot) particles increases.
NASA scientists have also conducted experiments to observe how candle flames behave in microgravity. In these conditions, the flame takes on a spherical shape instead of its usual elongated shape on Earth.
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Frequently asked questions
The flame will be extinguished.
When you pour carbon dioxide gas from a glass onto a candle, the carbon dioxide sinks and replaces the oxygen-containing air surrounding the candle with carbon dioxide, suffocating the flame.
Mix together a little baking soda and vinegar in a glass.
