8 Colored Candle vs. White Candle

Does a Colored Candle Burn Faster than a White Candle?

This question got me wondering, so I tested it. I have done some research to the point where I’ve heard the answer to this question from different points of view getting several different answers. So in result of this, I decided to collect my own data to prove which candle actually burns the fastest.

For the first test I took 3 ten-inch candles and burned them for one hour each, all at the same time to decide which candle burns the fastest. Every ten minutes I measured the height of each candle and recorded it for an hour. In all the red candle burned 3 inches, blue burned a total of 3 inches, and white burned a total of 2 ¾ inches. These test results were not expected at all, so I repeated this test twice.

After collecting all of that data it didn’t seem reasonable to me. The measurements were all over the place. So I repeated this test twice. For the results in this test they were quite similar and I didn’t get the results i had expected but this was probably because these candles were not made perfectly. There are tiny bumps on them that make them thicker in different spots to slow them down speed them up. The red candle had burned an overall 2 ¾ inches, blue burned 2 ½ inches, and white burned 2 ⅖ inches. For this test, as well as the last one the results weren’t the results I had expected.

Overall, this experiment has proved to me that the colored candle burns faster than the white candle. The data I collected does not support my hypothesis. For a better look at what colored candle burns the fastest, could do a follow up experiment using several different colors and not just red, blue, and white to determine whether lighter colored candles or darker colored candles burns faster.

Conclusion

The data collected does not support my hypothesis. I had predicted the white candle would burn faster because it did not have any added dyes. It turns out that they must've helped the so that the coloring in the candles sped up the burning process. To expand on this experiment, I would test different brands of candles, different scents, different sizes, and even more shades of colors to maximize my results.

Procedure

• 1. Get candles of as many different colors as possible.

  2. Burn the candles all at once. Try to light them as fast as you can to get accurate results.

  3. Measure the height of the candles every ten minutes for one hour.

  4. Find out total amount burned for every candle in one hour.

  5. Determine which candle burned the fastest.

  6. Repeat steps 1-5 to make sure the experiment was accurate.

Problem

Which candle burns faster, a white color or a colored candle?

Hypothesis

Does a white candle burn faster than a colored candle?

Graph and Data

Images