Students explore the melting and solidification of wax.
Students observe wax as it is heated and cooled, and make observations about this substance as it changes from a solid to a liquid, and back again.
All Resources
Candles
Objectives
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Describe the properties of a solid and a liquid.
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Describe the processes of melting and solidification.
Materials
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Per Class:
wax
double boiler (you can use a coffee can in a saucepan of water)
hot plate
goggles
tongs (to handle container of melting wax) -
Per Student:
1 paper cup (3–5oz “Dixie cup” size)
1 wick (available at craft stores)
crayons (optional)
scissors
Key Questions
- How does the wax look most of the time, before we add heat to it? Did the crayons stay in small pieces or did the colour spread throughout the hot wax? Why?
- What happens to the wax when we add heat?
- Does wax look different after cooling?
- What changes of state did you see?
What To Do
- Melt the wax using the double boiler. Keep students away from the hot wax!
- Each student gets a cup, wick, and (optional) crayons.
- Students label their cups and then set a wick inside.
- Have them select a crayon colour, shave off pieces with scissors, and drop the shavings into the cup.
- Adults pour wax into the cup over the wick and crayon pieces (HEAT WARNING: be sure to pick up the melted wax in the can with tongs)
- Set the candle aside for at least an hour.
- The following day, the cup can be peeled off the wax, so the candle can be used.
Teacher tips:
- HEAT WARNING: be sure to pick up the melted wax in the can with tongs
- Make sure students know that the candles will not be ready to go home immediately.
- Place candles out of the way until fully cooled.
Extensions
- Did the crayons stay in small pieces or did the colour spread throughout the hot wax? Discuss why or why not mixing occurred.
- When a candle burns the wax must travel up the wick then evaporate whereupon it will react with oxygen. It is possible to see that the wax evaporates by letting a candle burn then blowing it out, after-which a stream of gaseous wax particles can be seen (students may interpret this as smoke). You can relight the candle buy placing a match in the stream or particles, you don't need to touch the wick!
