The Affect of Color on the Burning Rate of Candles Olivia Alston Science Fair Project The Affect of Color on the Burning Rate of Candles Olivia Alston

Statement of the Problem The problem that I am testing is weather colored candles burn/melt more quickly than plain candles or if they melt more slowly than plain candles.

Project Overview My project was to burn colored candles and plain candles to see which burned faster. I burned red candles and plain(white) candles to see which ones burned(melted) faster.

Research White, or plain, candles should burn more quickly than colored candles. This should happen because there are more chemicals in the colored candles, therefore, there is more to burn. There are more chemicals in colored candles because there is dye in them to make them a different color.

Variables Independent variable: My independent variable was the color of the candles. Dependent variable: My dependent variable was how much the candle melted in the amount of time it was lit. Constant variables: My constant variables were the amount of time given, the length of candle, the mass of the candle, and the weight of the candle. Control group: The control group is the plain candles. This makes the results logical because it is plain and it has no coloring to affect the burning.  

Hypothesis My hypothesis is that the colored(red) candles will burn more slowly than the plain(white) candles.

Materials Three red candles Three plain(white) candles One timer Six candle stick holders

Procedure Place candles in candle stick holders. Set timer. Light candles when timer starts. Blow out candles when timer stops. Measure difference in height of candle. Repeat steps one through five for each trial.

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Data/Observations (Analysis) The candles were burned for thirty minutes. The average of the white candles height after being burned was higher than the red ones, stating that colored candles burn faster than plain ones. The white average was higher by three millimeters. Trial Red Candles White Candles Trail One 26.1cm 26.5cm Trial Two 26.2cm 26.7cm Trial Three

Conclusion My data did not support my hypothesis because the colored candles burned(melted) more. I think that they might have burned(melted) more because the chemicals helped it burn(melt).

Possible Experimental Errors I don’t think I had any experimental errors.

Applications and Recommendations To improve this experiment you could: Use more than one different colored candle. Do more than three trials. Burn the candles for a longer amount of time. Test different brands of candles. You could apply this to your everyday life because you could know what type of candle to get(plain) if you want it to burn longer.

Works Cited Agadoni, Laura. "Do White Candles Burn at a Different Rate than Colored Candles? | Answerbag." Answerbag.com | Ask Questions, Get Answers, Find Information. 25 May 2010. Web. 14 Dec. 2010. <http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/2094413>. "Do White Candles Burn At A Different Rate Than Colored Candles?" Ask Questions, Get Free Answers - Blurtit. 2008. Web. 14 Dec. 2010. <http://www.blurtit.com/q590643.html>. Johnsen, Ken. "Re: Do Wax Candles Burn at Different Rates Because of Dyes?" MadSciNet: The 24-hour Exploding Laboratory. 1998. Web. 14 Dec. 2010. <http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1998-03/891037298.Ch.r.html>. Sherman, Bob. "Candle Making Science Projects." Candle Making Supplies At One Stop Candle Home Page. 2009. Web. 14 Dec. 2010. <http://www.onestopcandle.com/candle/canscience.php>.