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Spayton
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Homework Statement
What physical and chemical changes occur when a wax candle burns?
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
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Spayton said:Homework Statement
What physical and chemical changes occur when a wax candle burns?
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
Spayton said:What physical and chemical changes occur when a wax candle burns?
Chemistry is the scientific study of matter, its properties, and how it interacts and changes with other substances.
The main branches of chemistry are organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, and biochemistry.
A physical change is a change in the physical properties of a substance, such as its shape, size, or state of matter, without altering its chemical composition.
A chemical change is a change in the chemical composition of a substance, resulting in the formation of new substances with different properties.
During the burning of a wax candle, the physical change that occurs is the melting of the wax as it is heated by the flame. This melted wax then travels up the wick through capillary action and reacts with oxygen from the air, resulting in a chemical change. The wax molecules break apart and recombine with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, water vapor, and energy in the form of heat and light.