http://www.coolopticalillusions.com/blog/2007/06/11/jumping-candle-flame-trick-slow-motion-too/ Optical Illusions, Brain Teasers, and a sprinkling of funny stuff. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:59:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 http://www.coolopticalillusions.com/blog/2007/06/11/jumping-candle-flame-trick-slow-motion-too/#comment-989 Naos Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:59:21 +0000 http://www.coolopticalillusions.com/blog/2007/06/11/jumping-candle-flame-trick-slow-motion-too/#comment-989 This isn't actually an optical illusion. When a candle is lit, the wax of the candle melts, then evaporates, creating a wax gas. This gas needs to be in a perfect ratio of gas to oxygen to burn. On the outside of the flame, this ratio has been reached, thus, it burns. On the inside, however, there is too much wax gas, and not enough oxygen. Look at any candle flame; you'll see a dark interior, where there is no fire, only gas. When the flame is put out, the released gas spins off as that last little puff of "smoke" quickly dissipating in the the atmosphere. By acting quickly, one can, by holding a match into the vapor trail, light the vapor. The flame will travel down the stream of vapor, back to the candle, and reignite it. This isn’t actually an optical illusion. When a candle is lit, the wax of the candle melts, then evaporates, creating a wax gas. This gas needs to be in a perfect ratio of gas to oxygen to burn. On the outside of the flame, this ratio has been reached, thus, it burns. On the inside, however, there is too much wax gas, and not enough oxygen. Look at any candle flame; you’ll see a dark interior, where there is no fire, only gas. When the flame is put out, the released gas spins off as that last little puff of “smoke” quickly dissipating in the the atmosphere. By acting quickly, one can, by holding a match into the vapor trail, light the vapor. The flame will travel down the stream of vapor, back to the candle, and reignite it.

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