As a candle burns, what happens to most of the wax?

• A. It evaporates and condenses on nearby surfaces.
• B. It melts and remains as liquid wax at the base of the candle.
• C. It is converted into gases such as carbon dioxide and water vapor.
• D. It is absorbed into the wick and stays there.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that candle wax is primarily composed of hydrocarbons, which are compounds made of carbon and hydrogen atoms.
2. When the candle burns, the heat from the flame melts the wax near the wick, turning it into liquid wax that is drawn up the wick by capillary action.
3. The liquid wax vaporizes due to the high temperature near the flame, turning into gaseous hydrocarbons.
4. These gaseous hydrocarbons react with oxygen in the air in a combustion reaction, producing carbon dioxide (CO\_2) and water vapor (H\_2O) as the main products.
5. Therefore, most of the wax is chemically transformed into gases such as carbon dioxide and water vapor, rather than just melting or evaporating without reaction.