Physics of a Flame

            

Physics of a Flame

By: Miles Pelton, April 2014

            The accompanying photograph is taken from a video of a demonstration by Veritasium. The demonstration is explained to show that the candle flame is a plasma state of matter but does not identify the matter involved. A high voltage electrical charge is used to show that the flame material is ionized with both positive and negative ions and that ionized matter is a better conductor of electricity than is pure air. It was shown that when the charge and resulting current flow through the source of the flame is high, the flame is extinguished. The purpose of this critique is to show there is more to the flame than is reported by this demonstration.

            The flame is produced by the combustion of the paraffin wax, probably a hydrocarbon (Carbon and Hydrogen molecules), in the presence of air. In the process of combustion the energy bonds forming the hydrocarbon molecules of the candle and the oxygen molecules in the air, are fractured releasing photons. The photons contain the three energy forms fundamental to the formation of matter. There is the attraction energy that when released from photons produces heating. There is the repelling energy that is an electrical charge. Then there is the affinity energy that when released produces illumination. The attraction charge attracts attraction charges only. The repelling charge repels repelling charges only. The affinity charge is attracted by both the attraction and repelling charges.

            The photons released by combustion radiate from the point of their release. Some of the photons released by combustion impact atoms and molecules in the atmosphere that surrounds the candle wick (that includes products of combustion) and release the fundamental energy of which they are made. The attraction energy component causes the atoms of the molecules they impact to heat. The repelling energy component radiate to charge the surrounding atmosphere. (That is the atmosphere is filled with repelling charge, some taken up by the molecules in the atmosphere.) The affinity energy charge normally is deposited on and illuminates that matter to make it visible but, since the magnitude of affinity energy released is greater than the available matter, it is drawn by the attraction charges (heat) were the concentration of affinity energy is seen as a glow. So these energies and the effects they produce exist in the flame along with the other products of combustion, mainly carbon, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and water vapor all of which are capable of being ionized.

            The point being made is that this “scientific” demonstration did not prove truly what a flame is made of. You can easily conduct a more revealing scientific demonstration by directing a beam of light onto a candle with a white back board for the candle shadow to be cast. Then observe the flame does not cast a shadow, meaning the flame is not made of atoms of matter. It is not matter in a plasma state as the demonstration being analyzed claimed. Then observe the backboard cannot be seen through the flame, meaning it is the flame that is being seen yet the flame is not matter. How can one see energy unless the energy is made to be seen. Further, because the backboard cannot be seen through the flame means the radiation of light as photons is not the mechanism involved with vision since light as photons, as in the beam of light, passes through the flame without being blocked by matter so the flame would not block the passage of photons. This demonstration proves the existence of three forms of energy fundamental to the formation of matter are carried by photons and it proves that the current scientific beliefs relative to light and vision are flawed.

            Almost forgot to provide an explanation for why the candle flame was extinguished when the electrical charge passing through the point of combustion was increased. The candle flame is a consequence of combustion, which requires the chain reaction fragmenting of the bonds forming the hydrocarbon and oxygen molecules, by heat. If sufficient bonds aren’t fragmented the flame goes out. The demonstration shows that the electric charge affects the flame. In fact gives the appearance that the flame is being torn apart. Bear in mind that the electric charge producing the arc is the same repelling component of fundamental energy that is involved in forming the bonds that are being broken. Also, that repelling energy particles repels other like repelling energy particles but they do attract the affinity charge, which is the charge seen as the flame. One more thing. Heat is produced by the attraction charge that also attracts the affinity charge, the flame. So this is the scenario; the extra electric charge added to the repelling charge released from photons released by combustion pulls affinity charges (the flame) that are also pulling the attraction (heat) charges. When the heat charges are pulled away from the point of combustion before they can cause bonds to break, chain reaction combustion is interrupted.

            So the Veritasium demonstration is a flame out. Its only redeeming value is it demonstrated high electric charges directed to the proper spot can extinguish a flame.