experiMENTALS: Relightable candle

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This resource contains a materials and instruction list and brief explanation for students about the process of relighting a candle. This activity is most likely to be done as a teacher demonstration for safety and classroom management reasons, particularly at primary school level. Do this experiment to learn how a candle burns. Students could even use this as a basis for some simple investigations, but safety is important.

NSW syllabus outcomes

(ST3-12MW) identifies the observable properties of solids, liquids and gases, and that changes made to materials are reversible or irreversible

(ST3-13MW) describes how the properties of materials determine their use for specific purposes

(SC4-6WS) follows a sequence of instructions to safely undertake a range of investigation types, collaboratively and individually

(SC4-16CW) describes the observed properties and behaviour of matter, using scientific models and theories about the motion and arrangement of particles

(SC4-17CW) explains how scientific understanding of, and discoveries about, the properties of elements, compounds and mixtures relate to their uses in everyday life

Australian curriculum content descriptions

(ACSSU077) Solids, liquids and gases have different observable properties and behave in different ways

(ACSSU095) Changes to materials can be reversible, such as melting, freezing, evaporating; or irreversible, such as burning and rusting

(ACSSU151) The properties of the different states of matter can be explained in terms of the motion and arrangement of particles

(ACSSU225) Chemical change involves substances reacting to form new substances

(ACSIS140) Collaboratively and individually plan and conduct a range of investigation types, including fieldwork and experiments, ensuring safety and ethical guidelines are followed

(ACSIS145) Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions

More information

Resource type:: Interactive Resource
ScOT topics:: Melting, Wax, Chemical reactions
File type:: text/html
Language/s:: en-AU
Author:: ABC - eXperiMentals
Publisher:: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Date created:: Tuesday, 9 March 2010

Resource ID: 2dda0600-01e1-44d3-ab85-a6b739926e81