Which 1861 Faraday lecture book explains flame, air, and combustion for young audiences?
Answer
The Chemical History of a Candle
The 1861 lecture book is The Chemical History of a Candle, Michael Faraday’s celebrated guide to flame, air, and combustion.
The book grew from six Christmas lectures Faraday delivered at the Royal Institution in 1848. The series was designed for young audiences, continuing a tradition Faraday had helped establish in 1825. Although the lectures came first, they were printed as a book in 1861.
Faraday begins with an ordinary candle and uses it to introduce serious chemistry and physics. He examines the flame’s structure, the role of air, the formation of water, hydrogen and oxygen, carbon dioxide, atmospheric pressure, and the relationship between burning and respiration. Demonstrations make the discussion experimental rather than merely theoretical.
The title is sometimes mistaken for a children’s story or a narrow chemistry manual. It is better understood as a model of public science writing: Faraday uses a familiar object to reveal broad laws of matter, energy, and chemical change, while repeatedly stressing careful observation and safety.