MadSci Network: Chemistry
Query:

Re: Why does a candle in a sealed jar extinguish faster while falling?

Date: Sun Mar 19 18:37:39 2000
Posted By: Dan Berger, Faculty Chemistry/Science, Bluffton College
Area of science: Chemistry
ID: 953145661.Ch
Message:

If a candle is burning in a gravitational field but not in free fall, the combustion products (like carbon dioxide), being hotter, will rise because they are less dense. This draws air in at the base of the flame to keep the fire going.

But if you put a candle in a jar, light it, and drop it, everything in the jar -- including air, candle and combustion products -- is in free fall. This means that there is no local "down" or "up" and the combustion products don't rise away from the flame. So the candle smothers in its own waste.

Dan Berger
Bluffton College
http://cs.bluffton.edu/~berger




Current Queue | Current Queue for Chemistry | Chemistry archives

Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Chemistry.



MadSci Home | Information | Search | Random Knowledge Generator | MadSci Archives | Mad Library | MAD Labs | MAD FAQs | Ask a ? | Join Us! | Help Support MadSci


MadSci Network, webadmin@www.madsci.org
© 1995-2000. All rights reserved.