How a candle works
The documents below are a short presentation script designed for primary school pupils (Year 6) and an accompanying PowerPoint which provides the images referred to in the script.
This presentation is one of CBA’s contributions to the International Year of Chemistry, 2011. It is intentionally short and to the point. The idea is to stimulate curiosity and it can be used alongside other teaching materials with similar aims.
The idea for this presentation comes from the first young people’s lectures given by Michael Faraday, called ‘The chemical history of the candle’. Beginning in 1860, the Children’s Lectures from the Royal Institution remain a feature of the Christmas holidays. Faraday’s audience was largely made up of teen-aged youngsters.
As this presentation is intended for a younger age group, it contains a simplified version of Faraday’s lecture and describes the scientific principles involved whilst avoiding scientific terms.
