Is it chemical...I think?

Question

Is burning a candle a physical or chemical change & why? I dont mean melting candle wax thats physical

OR is burning a candle and melting wax the same thing!!

Thanks

Answer 1

definitely not the same, and burning a candle (or anything else) is definitely a chemical change.

It is combustion, in which oxygen is combined with the material being burned. This produces heat, and the heat it produces equals the difference in the potential energy of the reactants (the thing being burned, and O2) and the products (what remains after burning).

Answer 2

chemical, can't reverse the change.

Answer 3

the second fire is concerned, it's chemical. the wax melts but notice that in the end you have less wax than when you started, that's because some of it changed into something else. there for a chemical reaction HAD to have append. I don't the chemical equation but i do know it's chemical.

Answer 4

Physical change: Although some extensive properties (like shape, phase, etc.) of the material change, the material itself is the same before and after the change. The change can be “undone.”

When heat is applied to affect a physical change, it is known as "heat of fusion".

Chemical change: The substances present at the beginning of the change are not present at the end; new substances are formed. The change cannot be “undone.”

When heat is applied to affect a chemical change, it is known as "heat of combustion".

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If you've lit candles, you know that both a physical change and a chemical change are possible.  The first thing most people notice is the wax melting, changing from a solid to a liquid.  But, if you leave the candle burning long enough, do you still have the same amount as when you first lit the candle?

An experiment you can do is to get a candle in a glass jar.  Put a mark on the outside of the glass for the level of wax.  Light the candle and wait a an hour or two.  (Don't leave the candle unattended.)  Then, check to see if the level of the wax is the same, or not.  If its the same, then you've only witnessed a physical change.  If there is less wax, then you've witnessed a chemical change.

Answer 5

physical change, there is no chemicals involved, you are simply adding energy to a substance, and caused a physical change.  Im pretty sure it's physical