What Causes the ‘Glow’ of a Candle Flame?

A candle flame glows because it’s like a tiny fire party inside the wax. When you light a candle, the wax melts, turns into gas, and burns in the air, making light and heat. The different colors of the flame come from how hot each part is: red is cooler near the bottom, yellow is in the middle, and blue-white is the hottest on top!

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Examples

A lit birthday candle on a cake glows bright enough to light up the room.
The flame of a campfire looks different at night than in the day, it's brighter and more colorful when it’s cold.
When you blow out a candle, the tiny bits of soot that are left glowing look like stars.

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Categories: Physics · candle,flame,light,chemistry,heat