Seesawing Candle

Seesawing candle

Maybe you celebrate Hanukah, Christmas or Kwanza. Maybe you just like to stay up late to welcome the New Year. These winter holidays have a commonality--they often inspire us to light a candle to ward off the dark. Alas, short tapers are often cast aside. Before you get rid of them, try this.
You need:
knife
candle (used taper at least 3 inches long is best)
needle (long enough to fit through the width of the candle)
wax paper
two drinking glasses
matches

With adult supervision, carve away the tallow or wax at the bottom end of the candle to expose the wick. Carefully push the needle through the center of the candle. Leave enough needle sticking out each end to serve as a rod to hold up the candle.

Place a piece of wax paper on the tabletop, set the drinking glasses on the wax paper, and rest the needle across the rims of the each glass so the candle is between the glasses.

Light both ends of the candle, and give one end a slight push so the candle teeters like a seesaw. What happens?

Why it works: As Newton’s third law states, “For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.” When the tallow or wax drips off each end of the candle, it delivers a slight upward recoil.

The Mad Scientist Handbook Joey Green