how do trick candles work?

Answer 1

Trick candles have fine flakes of the metal magnesium added to the wick that is capable of being ignited by the relatively low temperature of the hot wick ember. When a trick candle is blown out, the wick ember ignites this material, which burns hot enough to ignite the paraffin vapor of the candle. The flame you see in a candle is burning paraffin vapor.

It doesn't take too much heat to make magesium ignite (800° F or 430° C), but the magnesium itself burns white-hot and readily ignites the paraffin vapor. When a trick candle is blown out, the burning magnesium particles appear as tiny sparks in the wick. When the 'magic' works, one of these sparks ignites the paraffin vapor and the candle starts to burn normally again. The magnesium in the rest of the wick doesn't burn because the liquid paraffin isolates it from oxygen and keeps it cool

Answer 2

basicaly its a matter of temperature control............the wick in a trick candle is infused with black powder at regular intervils along its length[this is why it sort of sparkles while lit] when its bloen out[starved of oxygen] the wick smolders like a cigarette untill it reaches the black powder whitch ignites [at a much lower temp.] returning the wick back to an ignition state & will remain untill blown out again....repeating the cycle.....to stop the cycle you must snuf the wick...like a cigarette!