ローソクの炎と電界・電流

Abstract

Electric field was applied to candle flame and the electric current was measured. The flame flowed toward the negative electrode, which means that the flame has positive electric charge. When positive electric high voltage was applied to the upper electrode, the flame flowed toward the down side and violently swung, which implies the possibility to make the flame play a kind of dance. The ratio of the number of positive charge carrier in the flame to the number of carbon atoms and H2 molecules in the flame was only ～10-6. This small ratio seems to mean that bright soot particles in theflame have positive electric charge and one particle is composed of about 106 carbon atoms on the average.