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Old 09-26-2002, 01:14 AM   #14
InkEye
Questionist
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Texas
Posts: 8
Oh, I forgot to mention... I theorize that the reason why your ear just doesn't ooze wax on an airplane but the candle draws the wax is because the melting point for ear wax is really quite low. Low enough that heated air will liquify it, but not a warm sunny day. An airplane cabin doesn't have heated air, so that's why it doesn't just ooz on out.

It may be that the cone-shape of the candle creates a vortex of air that blasts through the center, enters the ear, melts the ear wax, pushes the wax back up through the outside along the inner wall of the candle, where it solidifies when the fire of the candle is extinguished.

Or, it may be that the candle burning at the top consumes air from the bottom, drawing air up through the candle and out the top, but this doesn't explain the heat sensation you experience.

Don't know for sure, but that's my theory about how it works. I may have it wrong, don't know. All I can tell is what I've seen.
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