Michael Faraday's The Chemical History of a Candle

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Lecture Five RESPIRATION & ITS ANALOGY TO THE BURNING OF A CANDLE I told you, when we last met, a good deal about carbon dioxide. We found, by the limewater test, that when the vapor from the top of the candle was received into bottles, and tested by a solution of limewater (the composition of which I explained to you, and which you can make for yourselves), we had that the white opacity which was in fact calcareous matter, like shells and corals, and many of the rocks and minerals in the earth. But I have not yet told you fully and clearly the chemical history of this substance—carbon dioxide—as we have it from the candle, and I must now resume that subject. We have seen the products, and the nature of them, as they issue from the candle. We have traced the water to its elements, and
110 The Chemistry History of a Candle now we have to see where are the elements of the carbon dioxide supplied by the candle. A few experiments will show you this. You remember that when a candle burns badly, it produces smoke; but if it is burning well, there is no smoke. And you know that the brightness of the candle is due to this smoke, which becomes ignited. Here is an experiment to prove this. So long as the smoke remains in the flame of the candle and becomes ignited, it gives a beautiful light, and never appears to us in the form of black particles. I will light some fuel, which is extravagant in its burning. This will serve our purpose—a little lighter fluid on a sponge. You see the smoke rising from it, and floating into the air in large quantities; and, remember now, the carbon dioxide that we have from the candle is from such smoke as that. To make that evident to you, I will introduce this into a container where I have plenty of oxygen, the rich part of the atmosphere. You now see that the smoke is all consumed. The carbon which you saw flying off from the lighter fluid flame in the air is now entirely burned in this oxygen, exactly as in the combustion of the candle. All the carbon which is burned in oxygen, or air, comes out as carbon dioxide, while those particles which are not so burned show you the second substance in the carbon dioxide—namely, the carbon—that body which made the flame so bright while
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Michael Faraday’s T he Chemic al
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Contents Lectures Preface • vii I
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Preface In this companion book to o
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2 The Chemistry History of a Candle
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10 The Chemistry History of a Candl
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Guide to Lecture One A CANDLE: SOUR
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Guide to Lecture One 15 So, the hea
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Guide to Lecture One 17 This action
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Guide to Lecture One 19 is delayed
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Lecture One A CANDLE: SOURCES OF IT
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Lecture One 23 that nicely-formed e
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Lecture One 25 before long it will
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Lecture One 27 part above. Now, let
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Lecture One 29 is only able to take
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Lecture Two BRIGHTNESS OF THE FLAME
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Lecture Two 43 through the tube to
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Lecture Two 45 larger wicks, we mus
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Lecture Two 47 of the filings I hav
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Lecture Two 49 can judge for yourse
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Guide to Lecture Three PRODUCTS OF
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Guide to Lecture Three 53 and water
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Guide to Lecture Three 55 us water,
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Guide to Lecture Three 57 that ther
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Michael Faraday's The Chemical History of a Candle

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