Multiple choice

What happens to a candle when a substance is heated on it?

  1. Wax at the outer region of the heated wick melts quickly.

  2. Wax at the inner region of the heated wick melts quickly.

  3. Wax at both the regions melts quickly.

  4. Wax at the outer regions becomes cold.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Wax at the inner regions of the heated wick melts quickly. All waxes are essentially hydrocarbons, which means they are largely composed of hydrogen (H) and carbon (C) atoms. The heat of the flame vaporizes the liquid wax (turns it into a hot gas). These vaporized molecules are drawn up into the flame, where they react with oxygen from the air to create heat, light, water vapor (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). 

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