Keep a Candle Burning Underwater!

4.0 based on 140 ratings

What You Need:

  • Taper candle
  • Large bowl
  • Duct tape
  • Cigarette lighter or candle
  • Cold water
  • Scissors

What You Do:

  1. Have your child cut off four 4” lengths of duct tape.
  2. Invite him to fasten the candle to the bottom of the bowl with duct tape.
  3. Help him fill the bowl with water just to the top of the candle. Be careful not to submerge the wick!
  4. Light the candle for your child. Instruct him to be careful of the open flame!
  5. Encourage your child to observe what happens. The candle should burn all the way to the bottom of the bowl, leaving a thin tube of wax.

What Happened?

If you had lit and burned the candle in a waterless bowl, it would have burned normally and eventually consumed the whole candle. This is caused by the action of both heat flow and a high temperature. Get your child thinking: Why did the candle burn differently when he added water to the bowl? It only seems like magic that the candle burned while it was underwater!

Water has the amazing quality of absorbing heat energy, and because you used cold water, even more heat energy was absorbed. Once the candle's heat energy dissipated into the water, the heat had much less impact on the outer surface of the candle, resulting in the candle's strange transformation.


How likely are you to recommend to your friends and colleagues?

Not at all likely
Extremely likely