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Is a wax candle burning a physical or chemical change and how?

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Burning of candle is actually chemical change. Wax is basically made up of hydrocarbons. When you light the wick, the wax near the wick melts and then goes up through the thread through capillary action. Then the liquid turns to hot gas where the hydrocarbons are broken down. read more

Burning of candle produces smoke and a new product is formed, hence a chemical change, and the wax melts during burning but again solidifies, here a change occurs in it's physical properties so it's a physical change too. read more

Burning of candle is both physical and chemical change. Burning of candle melts the wax and hence physical state of wax has changed from solid to liquid. Again the wax combines with the atmosphere oxygen and changes to carbon dioxide, heat and light. read more

When this wax forms back into a solid and stays on the candle, that is another physical change that can occur. The chemical reaction can be a little less obvious. The first is that the heat produced by the candle consumes both the oxygen around it, as well as the fuels coming from the flame. read more

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