Laredo Community College
Science Department CHEM 1405 Laboratory 1
Properties of Matter: Burning Candles
A. Overview
BEFORE there was ELECTRICITY, there was FIRE!
A fire is both a source of heat and light. A fire needs three individual items to occur: (1) – a fuel
source; (2) – a source of oxygen; and, (3) - a type of spark. The first fire(s) was the result of
lightning striking the earth; the fuel source was the dry plants and air was the source of oxygen.
The result of the lightning strikes was destruction, until humans determined a manner to harness
the energy from the fire, and to benefit from both the heat and light of a flame.
This experiment will introduce you to some of the techniques which you will use in the
chemistry laboratory this semester. While learning these techniques you will also be asked to
observe a number of physical and chemical properties.
You will use a candle as the fuel source in today’s lab. Prior to the use of electricity, most
people used candles as a source of light in their homes during the nighttime hours. In fact, the
base unit of the metric system to indicate light intensity is the candela. Candles were made from
animal fat during the time of colonization and the birth and growth of the United States. Today,
most candles are made of kerosene.
B. General Laboratory Policies
Record all observations in your laboratory notebook in ink as well as on the data sheet.
When you complete the experiment you should clean all equipment and return it to your desk
or to the carts. Remember, you are responsible for the equipment in your assigned desk.
CAUTION: You will be working with fire in this experiment. Inspect the area near your
desk to ensure that the gas is turned off and that no flammable liquids are present.
