The chemistry of candles

By Stephen Ashworth2015-05-01T08:38:00

Numerous small candles or tealights burning against a dark background

Source: © Shutterstock

Learn about the chemistry behind candles and how they work in this article from ‘Avogadro’s lab’, including a test to try at home with safety instructions.

Have you ever used chemistry to make light? You probably have, but might not have thought of it as chemistry. Before electric light was commonplace, all artificial light was produced using chemistry, including the humble candle.

Take a quick journey through history to find out how candles work, and discover a simple experiment you can use at home to find out more.

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