Magic birthday candles have become increasingly popular these days in every birthday party. Kids love to blow out these candles and have fun while watching it reignite. But have you ever wondered how these magic birthday candles are able to reignite several times without using the fire. Let’s find the secret behind these magic candles in this article.
A normal candle and the magic candles are made up of the same material, that is the paraffin wax. This paraffin wax is the fuel for the burning of these candles. You can also see a thread in the middle of these candles which is the wick. The main function of the wick is to supply fuel (paraffin wax) for the burning process which takes place at one end of the wick.
Once we ignite the candle wick, it burns continuously till the paraffin wax is exhausted. If we blow the normal candle out, it will not reignite on its own unless you light it up again. Even though the wick (burning ember) is hot after we blow out the candle, the heat required to reignite is not enough. Thus, we can see only the vaporized wax coming out the normal candle which appears as smoke. Now let’s understand how magic birthday candles work.
How Do Magic Birthday Candles Work
As discussed above, normal candles and magic candles are made up of the same material. The only difference is the wick of the candle. The wick of the magic candle is coated with fine flasks of magnesium metal which has low ignition temperature (about 800 F or 430 C).
When we blow out the magic birthday candle, the vaporized wax comes out which cannot reignite on its own but the wick (burning ember) of magic birthday candle remains hot enough to spark the magnesium metal which is coated on the wick. Once we blow out the magic birthday candles, the sparks of magnesium appear on the wick which reignites the paraffin wax and the candle starts to burn normally as before.
The magnesium in the magic candle doesn’t burn when the candle is glowing since the paraffin isolates the magnesium from oxygen and keeps the magnesium cool.
How do you put out magic birthday candles
The easiest and best way to put out magic candles is to place the wick of the candle in water which will cut off the oxygen supply for the reignition of the candle.
Watch the video
Best of Starry Stories
1. Read about the The Physics of Floating Ball
2. Read about the Did You Just Spot a Cheetah a Leopard and a Jaguar
3. Read about the Which is the Largest Delta in the World?
4. Read about the Chlorophyll and Haemoglobin – An Unlikely Connection
5. Read about the What is the True Colour of the Coronavirus?
6. Read about Why Do Fish Not Freeze in Cold Water?