Why does candle flame flicker?

The wick is drawing oil from the candle wax as fuel, and a buildup is created within the wick. If the flame gets too little or too much air or fuel, it can flicker or flare and unburned carbon particles (soot) will escape from the flame before they can fully combust.

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One may also ask how does a candle burn?

When you light a candle, the heat of the flame melts the wax near the wick. This liquid wax is then drawn up the wick by capillary action. The heat of the flame vaporizes the liquid wax (turns it into a hot gas), and starts to break down the hydrocarbons into molecules of hydrogen and carbon. Correspondingly, what happens if you leave a candle burning overnight? If you burn your candle for more than 4 hours at a time, carbon will collect on the wick, and your wick will begin to "mushroom." This can cause the wick to become unstable, the flame to get too large, your candle to smoke, and soot to be released into the air and around your candle container.

Regarding this, why do candles smoke?

Smoke is created when the flame of the candle is unable to properly burn all the fuel (in the form of vaporized wax) efficiently due to a lack of oxygen. Because the wick is drawing oil from the candle wax, a buildup of oils can occur within the wick when the flame fails to burn as much oil as it's taking in. One may also ask can you smoke candles? Apparently, the smoke from a burning candle could be as toxic as those from cigarettes or even diesel exhaust fumes. When you think about the dangers of a burning candle, it's probably the risk of a fire that comes to mind, not whether or not you should be inhaling candle smoke.

Correspondingly, why is my candle flame black?

The candle has been burning for too long. Once the surface is liquid, the inner wax of the candle heats up and begins to evaporate very quickly. The candle is then unstable, causing the flame to burn irregularly. The more the flame moves, the more likely it is to give off soot. People also ask why does my candle wick? If you've ever had a candle with a black cap on the end, or what looks like a mushroom cap, it means your candle wick is mushrooming. In essence, the ratio of wax to wick is off. The buildup of excess materials left from not burning correctly is the cap of carbon particles you see, otherwise known as a mushroom wick.