When a burning candle is contained within a closed environment it will continue to burn as long as oxygen remains available. Once all available oxygen has been consumed, the flame will extinguish (this is why carbon dioxide fire extinguishers are used).
However, if the candle is sitting in water when it is sealed away, something very unexpected occurs. The surrounding water will be sucked up into the glass as the flame is extinguished. The explanation for this phenomenon is actually still up for debate with two predominant hypotheses.
The first argues that for every two molecules of oxygen burned, one molecule of carbon dioxide is produced. This results in a reduced pressure in the enclosed area which causes the water to be sucked upwards.
The second argues that the air within the container expands because of the heat from the flame. As the flame begins to die, the air begins to cool and contracts. This reduces the pressure within the enclosed area and causes the water to be sucked upwards.
Learn more: http://www.math.harvard.edu/~knill/pedagogy/waterexperiment/
Source: https://youtu.be/Z2_rwr_qEkA (brusspup)
#ScienceGIF #Science #GIF #Fire #Physics #Chemistry #Combustion #Fluid #Experiment #DIY #Candle #Flame #Reaction View Original Post on Google+
