How does baking soda and vinegar affect the flame of a candle?

We demonstrate how baking soda and vinegar can blow out a candle and how Carbon Dioxide can extinguish the candle's flame.
Japsirat Kaur Jassar Mannat Dhillo
Grade 6

Presentation

No video provided

Hypothesis

We think that the candle will blow out. We think this due to the reason that baking soda and vinegar react together to produce carbon dioxide creating a blanket over it. This cuts off candle’s oxygen supply that is needed for its combustion/flame. We also think that more the baking soda and vinegar more the carbon dioxide is formed and hence quicker the candle will extinguish.

Research

We have found that baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid.An acid and a base reacts together to create a neutralization reaction.Neutralization is a chemical reaction in which acid and base react to form salt and water. The base in the baking soda and the acid in vinegar react and trap the carbon dioxide to form bubbles.The mixture of the baking soda (solid) and vinegar (liquid) creates a gas and a liquid, which results in to foam bubbles.the gas released from these  bubbles is also known as carbon dioxide, which extinguishes the candle.

Variables

We will need:

  • Candle
  • Lighter
  • Baking soda
  • Vinegar
  • Bowl 

Procedure

  1. Light up a candle (constant variable)
  2. Mix baking soda and vinegar(manipulated variable)near the flame of the candle.
  3. Examine the candle properly.
  4. See if our hypothesis was correct.
  5. Do trail 2
  6. Change the amount of the manipulated variable
  7. Do the same process 
  8. Do trail 3
  9. Change the amount of the manipulated variable
  10. Do the same process
  11. Make your inference.

Observations

We observed that the candle blow out faster eachtime we added more baking soda and vinegar, we also proved that carbon dioxide does not support combustion.

Analysis

Analysis 1: We added 1 tablespoon of vinegar and baking soda, the candle extinguished about within 8-9 seconds  

Analysis 2: We added 2 tablespoons of vinegar and baking soda, the candle extinguished within 5-6 seconds.

Analysis 3: We added 3 tablespoons of vinegar and baking soda, the candle extinguished in about  4-5 seconds.

Conclusion

We conclude that the more baking soda and vinegar, the quicker the carbon dioxide forms and it extinguishes the candle faster.

Application

If a fire ever happens we would know how to extinush it.

Sources Of Error

On our first try we put the baking soda and vineger too early so the CO2 formed before we lit the candle up and by the time we lit it up all the CO2 had finished.

Acknowledgement

We would like to acknowledge the following people:

  • Mrs. Sharma
  • Mrs. Harpreet
  • Mrs. Amanda
  • Some Friends Who Helped Us Out 
  • And You For Supporting Us By Reading Our Project

Attachments

No Log Book Provided