Before the invention of
electric lighting, candles and oil lamps were commonly used for illumination. Candles
are still used routinely nowadays especially in areas without electricity.
In the developed
world today, candles are used mainly for their aesthetic value and scent,
particularly to set a soft, warm, or romantic atmosphere, for emergency
lighting during electrical power failures, and for religious or ritual
purposes. Scented candles are used in aromatherapy.
Candles are made up
of two components – wax and a wick.
The wax may be supplemented with additives such as:
Colorant which gives an attractive appearance to candle different
kinds of fragrances to make scented candles
“metallic”
surfaces which are not metal but an organic material.
·
Acting like a fuel pump, the wick draws the
liquefied wax up into the flame to burn by capillary action. When the liquid
fuel, typically melted candle wax, reaches the flame it then vaporizes and combusts.
·
The candle wick influences size of the flame
and corresponding rate of burning.
·
Different wick sizes allow for different
amounts of fuel to be drawn into the flame. Too much fuel and the flame will
flare and soot; too little fuel and the flame will sputter out.
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