Jumping Flame

[Sisyphus]

Ok, so I was at a bar last night where, on the tables, there were little "lamps" that consisted of a plastic jar of oil with a cloth wick and flame, inside a glass vase. I noticed that when I tapped the table anywhere, the flame would flare for a split second (so quick its not even noticable unless you're paying attention), practically doubling in size. It wasn't a gust of air, since waving my hand at it, changing the place where I tap the table, or taking the jar out of the vase had not effect. I tried the same thing with a butane lighter and a propped up match, and nothing happened in either case. This leads me to believe that it had something to do with the wick, but I can't figure it out. The way I see it, the transverse wave from the impact with the table hits the vase and converts to a compressive wave which somehow travels through the oil in the wick to erupt at the top. What I can't figure out is why it didn't work with the lighter. Is it that fluids saturating a solid have greater elasticity than fluids on their own? Your thoughts would be appreciated.

[insane_alien]

it knocks a layer off the wick(albeit very thin layer) that is in powder form. there is a little bit of fuel left and the surface area has increased so you will get the lare from a temporarily increased burn rate. it doesn't work for the lighter since the fuel is alreasy as dispersed as it can be and still burn. also no wick.

[Alpha-137]

I would say that the taping set up a vibration / shockwave

 

that travels through the oil much better than the wooden

 

mach or butane lighter.

 

Much the same as sonar waves through water, and are a little

 

amplified as it gets to the heated up oil at the tip the same as

 

the sonar waves are a little amplified in warmer thermal layers

 

of water.

 

Alpha-137:)

[Alpha-137]

Try this experiment!

 

 

This is an example of Mass in its height’s energy levels, [in the act of burning / or changing mass into Heat & Light energy.]

 

 

[A picture of the candle goes here.]

 

 

The flame of this candle is an area of high energy and in this state that area has the ability

 

to accelerate sound waves [Vibrations of air molecules.] As this wave of air molecules

 

hits one side of the flame some of the air molecules are used as fuel in the flame but

 

enough are heat expanded [Put in a higher energy state.] and accelerated [ Accelerated

 

mass has more force.] through the High Energy Area to slam into the air on the other side

 

at an Higher Energy Level and an accelerated force, thus amplifying the sound wave.

 

 

Alpha-137:)