January 29, 2025

Burning Candle in Rising Water Experiment w/ FREE Worksheet

Get ready to WOW your kids with a super EASY science experiment for kids! This simple rising water experiment uses common household items to demonstrate a couple scientifc principles such as fire and oxygen as well as air pressure for kids. This burning candle in water experiment is fun for preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th graders. Olders students will benefit using the free printable burning Candle in Water Experiment Worksheets as they explore why does the water rise in the candle experiment.

Rising Water Experiment

Have you ever looked through experiment ideas for kids on google, Facebook, or Pinterst and thought it looked cool, but were convinced it was too difficult and wouldn’t work. I get it! I have been there too! This rising water experiment is NOT one of those science experiments. This the burning candle experiment is actually super simple and uses common things you have in your kitchen already! So gather a few supplies and start learning with this air pressure experiment for preschoolers, kindergartners, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, and grade 6 students. Whether you are a parent, teacher, or homeschooler – you will want to try this super neat candle experiment that is quick and easy. Plus there is a free science worksheet to help teach the scientific method with older elementary age students too.

Candle experiment

Start by scrolling to the bottom of the post, under the terms of use, and click on the text link that says >> Download <<. The science worksheet pdf file will open in a new window for you to save the freebie and print the template.

Burning Candle in Water Experiment

All you need to try this super cool science experiment are a few simple materials you probably already have on hand:

plate with raised rim ro bowl
water
candle
ligther or matches
mason jar or glass
food coloring (we used blue to see it better)
playdough (optional for holding the candle in place)

The Burning Candle Experiment

Start out by putting the candle on plate or bowl with a lip. I suggest using a chunky tall candle so the water won’t overwhelm the candle and it has some stability. If you use a tall tapered candle, you may want some playdough to hold it in place.

Mason Jar Experiments

The amount of water used will really depend on the height of your candle and the lip on your bowl. But I’d say 1/2 cupr or so was right for us. We mixed our water with food coloring first and then poured it on the bottom of the dish.

I suggest filling out the pdf science worksheets at this point to help students make educated guesses or hypothesis!

Burning Candle Rising Water Experiment

Please do a trial before you light it to make sure your candle will fit under the mason jar or glass. Light the candle and put a mason jar over the top of the candle.

WARNING: Fire is dangerous and this should only be done under the carefuly observation of a responsible adult. Please use common sense when completing this science activity.

Have students watch carefully. The candle will start lit, but won’t stay that way for long!

CAUTION: The glass will become hot to the touch. Please wait for it to cool down completely before touching; it should be handled by an adult with care.

Air Pressure for Kids

You will observe the candle going out, some bubbles forming around the bottom of the mason jar, and then the jar will begin filling up with water.

Why does the water rise in the candle experiment

The candle went out in the jar because it ran out of oxygen. Fire needs oxygen to live. When the oxygen ran out in the upside down mason jar the candle went out without us blowing on it. But something else happened when the candle was burning, the flame heated up the air inside the glass. The hot air expanded quickly and created higher air pressure inside the glass than outside the glass. To restore equilibrium, some of the high-pressure air inside escaped from under the glass. You may have seen tiny bubbles escaping from underneath the glass. When the flame extinguished, the air inside the glass began to cool down. Cooling air contracted, which in turn lowered the air pressure inside the glass.

The remainder of the blue water was sucked in to the mason jar.

Why does water rise in burning candle experiment

Just as before when air rushed out from the glass to balance the air pressure between the inside and outside of the glass, now air wants to get in. As a result, the high-pressure air outside the glass pushes on the water, forcing the water into the glass. Visually, we can see the water level rising until the air pressure inside the glass is the same as the air pressure outside the glass.

Burning Candle in Water Experiment Worksheets

Students filled out the remaineder of the burgning cande in water experiment printable showing the results. After you explain what happened, ahve children write their conclusion.

Extensions Ideas:

Try using hot water or cold water instead of room temperature water; did it make a difference?
Use more or less water? Does that make a difference?
Use a larger candle or smaller candle; does the size of the candle matter?
What if you use multiple candles? Multiple candles would make the jar hotter and use up the oxygen quicker; did that make a difference?
Use milk or vinegar instead of water. Does the type of liquid change the outcome?
Will using a bottle with a more narrow neck change the results?

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Burning Candle in Water Experiment Worksheets

Science Experiment for Kids

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Beth Gorden

Beth Gorden is the creative multi-tasking creator of 123 Homeschool 4 Me. As a busy homeschooling mother of six, she strives to create hands-on learning activities and worksheets that kids will love to make learning FUN! With over 20 years educating children, she has created over 1 million pages of printables to help teach kids alphabet, math, science, English grammar, history, and so much more! Beth is also the creator of 2 additional sites with even more educational activities and FREE printables – www.kindergartenworksheetsandgames.com and www.preschoolplayandlearn.com. Beth studied at the University of Northwestern where she got a double major to make her effective at teaching children while making education FUN!