“There is not a law
under which any part of this universe is governed which does not come into play
and is touched upon in these phenomena. There is no better, there is no more
open door by which you can enter into the study of natural philosophy than by
considering the physical phenomena of a candle.”
— Michael Faraday, The Chemical
History of a Candle
Michael
Faraday, a renowned English scientist, had contributed immensely in the area of
electromagnetism and electrochemistry. The Chemical History of a Candle, was
the title of a series of six lectures on the chemistry and of flames given by
Michael Faraday at the Royal Institution in London in 1826. This was the origin
of the Christmas lectures for young people that are still given there every
year and bear his name. The lecture beautifully described the different zones
of combustion in the candle flame, and the presence of carbon particles in the
luminescent zone. The lectures were first printed as a book in 1861. These
lectures were very popular and Faraday used to derive immense pleasure in
communicating the excitement of science to the general public, especially
children.
He once said, in
an interview, “The best members of my audience are children. They just watch
and very little escapes their awareness.’’
Photograph Courtesy: Udit Sharma
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