What does the light energy from a candle flame convert to when it’s blown out?
Runner asked:
Energy isn’t lost, it always changes into kinetic, light, heat or chemical energy of some sort, so what does the light energy from a blown out candle convert to? A burning candle obviously gives off heat and smoke (chemical) as the wick and wax burn, but what about the light at the point of going out?
Energy isn’t lost, it always changes into kinetic, light, heat or chemical energy of some sort, so what does the light energy from a blown out candle convert to? A burning candle obviously gives off heat and smoke (chemical) as the wick and wax burn, but what about the light at the point of going out?
The light is a product. It is the result of the chemical energy (stored in the wax, wick and oxygen) as the wax is burned.
The flame is a visible result of the conversion of the chemical energy into thermal energy (thermal excitation of electrons during combustion).
Extinguishing the flame stops the chemical to thermal conversion and no flame is seen. When the flame goes out, the light is no longer made. It is not converted into anything. The light which had previously been made will travel in a straight line until it interacts with something else. [who] Richard
heat?…
[who] coolie_lol454