Wiggle Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 If you light a match in zero gravity which direction will the flame head (as in on earth it heads upwards)? Or even better if anyone knows or even has a picture. My mind say a sphere but that also doesn't make sense because of convection. Blah. Admin delete this if its too daft a question, I would love to see it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reverse Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 no gravity .. no thermal displacement upwards.. so an irregular star shape due to uneven burn rates and complex convection... as a guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenSon Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Yeah, I think the flame points up because of the heat convection not gravity so I would say it would look the same. ~Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reverse Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 So without a good strong upward convection suction to keep re oxygenating the area around the flame.... would it even burn at all? ..maybe it would go out straight away... Maybe it would take for ever to burn...and be really weak ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atinymonkey Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Yeah' date=' I think the flame points up because of the heat convection not gravity so I would say it would look the same. [/quote'] That doesn't really make much sense. If the heat was rising away from the flame, causing the flames direction, it would be a sphere in space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swansont Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Yeah' date=' I think the flame points up because of the heat convection not gravity so I would say it would look the same. ~Scott[/quote'] Do you understand that convection depends upon gravity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swansont Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Why doesn't anyone Google anymore? picture of a candle flame in microgravity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atinymonkey Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Actually, I did. I can't remember why I decided not to post the link, I think I was holding out for someone to work it out. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/multimedia/photos/2003/photos03-004.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
why? Posted June 5, 2005 Share Posted June 5, 2005 google works for everything everything i tell u. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 The flame is actually spherical as Swansont mentions, Google has the answers !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiggle Posted June 13, 2005 Author Share Posted June 13, 2005 Thank guys, now i know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT2095 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 just an additional oddity. the flame also goes out after a short time, but will re-ignite if the candle or match is moved into a fresh pocket of air Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Says Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Ha, that is kind of funny. You mean if there is no air current right? "would it even burn at all? ..maybe it would go out straight away... Maybe it would take for ever to burn...and be really weak ?" Thats only dependent on the amount of oxygen and fuel source available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssj5harsh Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 I don't EXACTLY agree with what YT2095 has said. The reason simply is because the candle needs GASEOUS wax so that it can burn. On earth, Wax near the wick is heated, turns to liquid, then gaseous state. This gaseous wax burns. The wick serves the purpose of absorbing the liquid wax so that the gaseous wax can burn. In microgravity, the wax will not rise towards the flame and hence will burn out after some time. One way to check this is to notice that a vertical candle burns until the wick reaches the ground, but the same candle when held horizontally will burn out sooner and most of the candle will not be used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnpatterson Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 The wick effect works in micro gravity, it is due to capilarity/surface wetting effect so it will continue to "rise" to the "top". The horizontal fast burning candle phenomena you describe in gravity is due to the convection of heat from the flame into the side of the candle and the failure of the candle to form a stable pool of wax. You must have observed how quickly a candle burns if you constantly drain the little pool of wax. You may have observed how quickly you can melt one candle into the flame of another to produce a massively waxy decorated bottle with candle? If not I can tell you it is great fun (well maybe once or twice after a while it gets boring and your girlfriend starts to get impatient and the waitors try to move you out) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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