does a candle use more carbon than a light bulb?

Question

I mean overall, as in use of power, i mean obviously a lightbulb doesnt use more carbon itself, but what about at a powerstation level?

Answer 1

Yes, it should.
A candle is a inefficient way to generate light, compared with incandescent light bulb. Power stations, even those burning coal, are geared towards maximum efficiency by using the Carnot cycle (or at least, trying to be as close as possible to one). You cannot achieve as complete combustion with an open flame as is done in a power station.
Of course, for maximum efficiency, you should replace incandescent light bulb with devices that produce less heat, like fluorescent or (eventually) LED's.

Answer 2

This is a tough question in Quantitative Stoiciometry (doubt if that was correctly spelled). First carbon burning power plants are about 25 - 40 percent efficient. Transmission losses may be as high as 8 percent, transformer losses will be small for large transformers maybe totaling a couple of percent. So the total generating efficiency is maybe 30 percent or so. I find references to candles putting out 8 to 15 lumens and generating 50 - 100 watts of energy. Incandescent bulbs are perhaps 100 times as efficient (I have a 100 watt bulb that is rated at 1690 lumens) so even if half the electrical power is lost in delivery, you still are 50 times as efficient.
This ignores the embedded energy needed to produce the candle and the bulb. But because the bulb lasts hundreds of times longer than the candle, I would assume that per lumen hour, the bulb is less carbon intense to produce. It takes power and hence carbon to produce and deliver both.

Answer 3

making a candle? definitely. it's composed of wax and a rope wick vs glass, a tungsten filament and some sort of metal screw cap

burning a candle? yes. the wax eventually burns, the wick burns. whereas a light bulb creates light by passing current through a filament that heats to the point of radiating light.

I suppose you could argue about how the electricity is generated that lights the bulb, but it could be solar, wind or nuclear based.

Answer 4

A candle is more carbon-efficient than a light bulb for two reasons other than what they burn when in use. Firstly there is no wastage of energy on the network between generation and use with a candle, whereas there is much wastage on the electricity network. And secondly there is much more energy used in the production of light bulbs and the infrastructure to bring electricity to your home than there is in the production of candles (embedded energy).

To be carbon-efficient you don't have to switch to candles. But switching to a green tariff, encouraging local generation of electricity and of course using energy-efficient light bulbs are all responsible choices.

Answer 5

it would if you were to include the melting of the wax to make the candle, the creation of the wick etc.

also you would have to compare a very dim light bulb to get accurate results as the light emitted from a bulb is much greater than a candle.

Answer 6

A candle consists of a hydrocarbon wax and, as such, must use more carbon than a light bulb as it gives off black smoke.

Answer 7

Not if a Nun is using one. Then its the same as a light bulb, only smaller but longer...

Answer 8

a candle needs oxygen to burn,a light bulb filament is in a vaccum it dont burn any oxygen

Answer 9

They do when they fall over and set your house on fire.