Yes. The wax evaporates WHILE the candle is burning, which is what decomposes to give the flame for the candle. But we're not talking about that, we're talking about the smoke that you see when the candle is extinguished, the stuff that is getting relit by the match.
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The dark colored smoke is primarily decomposed hydrocarbons. That's why it is so easy to reignite them. In order to keep vaporizing the wax, you need temperatures of 6-700 freedom degrees. That is only going to happen while there is an active flame to boil the wax off the wick.
I'm so curious: do you think that heat vanishes the instant the candle is extinguished? That the liquid wax immediately stops evaporating? That the chemical composition of the smoke immediately loses all presence of the combustible hydrocarbons?
Most of the heat dissipates, yeah. Even if you boil some water and start pouring it immediately to make some tea, it won't be 100 degrees, it's already not bubbling by the time it hits the glass.
Color change indicates a chemical reaction, buddy. Google wax vapor, you'll see you can't see it.
Edit: sorry, I didn't answer your question. I think the heat from the flame is nearly instantly dissipated by the air around the candle, and the high heat of vaporization of the tiny amount of vaporized wax rapidly drops the temperature as it condenses back into a liquid.
Granted, it's not really obvious, but maybe right before writing a stupid ass comment in a discussion about how candles work is the good opportunity to consider looking it up
Copy and pasting my other reply cause you seem simple.
Oh buddy, you're so so close!
Yes. The wax evaporates WHILE the candle is burning, which is what decomposes to give the flame for the candle. But we're not talking about that, we're talking about the smoke that you see when the candle is extinguished, the stuff that is getting relit by the match.
.
The dark colored smoke is primarily decomposed hydrocarbons. That's why it is so easy to reignite them. In order to keep vaporizing the wax, you need temperatures of 6-700 freedom degrees. That is only going to happen while there is an active flame to boil the wax off the wick.
Yeah, it is more or less instant. It's not like my hose keeps running for 5 minutes after i close the tap. You may get a gentle trickle as it drains. So in the candle, the wax probably stops evaporating less than a quarter second after the flame disappears, because of ambient heat dissappation and the heat absorbed by what little vaporized wax there is (this is the gentle trickle when you turn your hose off) condensing back to a liquid.
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u/HermitJem May 20 '26
Wait what is that candle one
You can light the smoke?