Zones of a Candle Flame

Characteristics of a Candle Flame

• The middle zone of a flame appears luminous due to the presence of incandescent carbon particles.
• In the middle zone, carbon particles are not fully oxidized, resulting in the formation of smoke and soot.
• The middle zone is considered moderately hot because it has a lower temperature than the outer zone.

Activity 6 and the Luminous Zone

• The purpose of Activity 6 is to observe the formation of a circular blackish ring on a glass slide placed in the luminous zone of a candle flame.
• The circular blackish ring is formed due to the deposition of unburnt carbon particles from the luminous zone onto the glass slide.

Zones of a Candle Flame

• The innermost zone of a candle flame is characterized by a lack of oxygen, resulting in incomplete combustion.
• Unburnt wax vapour is found in the innermost zone of a candle flame.
• The outer zone of a candle flame has enough air for complete burning of vapour.

Observation of the Dark Inner Zone

• The innermost zone appears black due to the lack of oxygen, which prevents complete combustion.
• Observing the burning of wax vapour in a glass tube introduced into the dark inner zone of a candle flame reveals that the vapour ignites when it comes into contact with oxygen.
• When a lighted matchstick is brought near the greyish-white vapour coming out from a glass tube inserted into the dark inner zone of a candle flame, it ignites, indicating the presence of unburnt wax vapour.