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What happens to a birthday candle's smoke right after you blow it out?

Show of hands — before you project anything

Predict first: when you hold a lit match in the fresh smoke an inch above the wick, what happens — nothing, a relight, or a big flare? Why?

  • A Way more than you'd guess
  • B About what you'd guess
  • C Way less than you'd guess

Count the votes out loud. Hold them to it — then watch.

Project it (fullscreen)

Discussion prompts

  • Predict first: when you hold a lit match in the fresh smoke an inch above the wick, what happens — nothing, a relight, or a big flare? Why?
  • Predict first: if you wait five seconds before bringing the match in, does the trick still work? What changed about the smoke?
  • Predict first: the flame moves DOWN the trail to the wick. What does that tell you about where the fuel is?

Where it shows up in real life

  • Relighting a just-blown-out birthday candle by touching a match to its smoke
  • A gas stove burner, where you also burn invisible fuel-gas, not a solid
  • The wisp of smoke off a snuffed candle that smells like wax — that smell is the wax fuel itself

A prediction-first worksheet — no answer key.

zero prep · no login · any projector

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