I'd like to know how much power (Watts) a candle generates. I am interested in the amount of heat generated, so the answer can not be 'one candela'.
I also can't try it by heating water because the power is small and the losses are great - my DIY measurements would be terribly inaccurate.
It also doesn't depend on the size of the wick - let's just assume candleflames are roughly the same size the world over.
I post this in chemistry because I remember it's possible to calculate the energy involved in decomposing paraffine to it's components and recombining them to CO2 and water.
I am looking for a ballpark figure - 1 watt, 10 watts, 100 watts of heat?
2007-02-13 02:51:44 · 4 answers · asked by mgerben 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
I say weigh it, find the energy per unit mass of wax (if you really really can't find it, use fat - 9 food calories per gram, that's 9*4.18*1000J per gram), so you know how much total energy it has. Time how long it burns for, and assuming output is constant, you can find the wattage.
2007-02-13 03:16:01 · answer #1 · answered by AaronX 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No i do no longer very own mystical powers ( to admit the possibility that I do would probably have me put in a rubber room ! ) , no i do no longer play with crystals, sure I burn candles, sure I chant and that i additionally solid and interpret runes.
2016-09-29 01:29:52 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A candle generates Zero (0) Watts.
A Watt is an electrical effect. It requires a current and a voltage drop:
Watts = R * I
Candles generate ONLY heat. You can use that heat to heat water - to generate steam - to turn a turbine - to generate electricity. Then you can talk about Watts, but that is a very complicated process, and I don't think that is what you are looking for.
2007-02-13 02:59:40 · answer #3 · answered by Dr Dave P 7 · 0⤊ 5⤋
I thought candles produced wax.
2007-02-13 02:58:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋