Future Research & Bibliography

🔮 What I Would Do Next

To further investigate this topic and extend the experiment, I would explore the following research directions:

1. 📐 Testing different blade angles: Experiment with blade angles from 20° to 50° to find the optimal angle for maximum rotation speed. This would help determine if the current 30-40 degree range is truly optimal or if other angles might be more efficient.
2. 🔬 Investigating blade materials: Compare the performance of blades made from different materials (aluminum foil, cardstock paper, thin plastic) to determine which material provides the best balance of weight and surface area. Lighter materials might spin faster, while sturdier materials might maintain their shape better.
3. 📏 Varying the distance: Test how the distance between the candles and blades affects rotation speed (heights of 5 cm, 10 cm, 15 cm, and 20 cm). This would help determine the optimal positioning for maximum efficiency.
4. 🎨 Exploring blade design: Create different blade shapes (rectangular, curved, or twisted) to see which design captures the rising air most efficiently. Different shapes might create different air flow patterns and affect rotation speed.
5. 🌡️ Measuring actual temperatures: Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of air at different heights above the candles to quantify the relationship between temperature and rotation speed. This would provide more precise data about the convection currents.
6. 🕯️ Testing candle size: Compare tea light candles with larger candles to determine if flame size affects rotation speed more than the number of candles. This would help understand whether total heat output or heat distribution is more important.
7. 💨 Investigating air flow patterns: Use smoke or lightweight tissue paper to visualize the convection currents and understand the air flow patterns better. This would provide visual evidence of how the air moves and interacts with the blades.
8. 🎠 Creating a multi-tier carousel: Build a carousel with multiple levels to see if they all rotate at the same speed or if higher levels rotate differently. This would explore how convection currents change with height and whether multiple blade levels can be powered by the same heat source.

📚 Bibliography

The following sources were consulted during the research and development of this project. All references are formatted according to APA (American Psychological Association) style.

• ChristKindl-Markt. (n.d.). German candle pyramids and candle carousel history. Retrieved from https://www.christkindl-markt.com/blog/german-candle-pyramids-and-candle-carousel-history/
• Ingrid Science. (n.d.). Candle convection pinwheel. Retrieved from https://www.ingridscience.ca/node/706
• Science Buddies. (2022, November 14). Build a candle carousel. Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Aero_p051/aerodynamics-hydrodynamics/make-a-candle-carousel
• Science Buddies Blog. (2021, December 6). Merry science: Take a candle carousel for a spin. Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/blog/merry-science-take-a-candle-carousel-for-a-spin
• Science Sparks. (2011). Create a candle carousel. Retrieved from https://www.science-sparks.com/create-a-candle-carousel/
• STEAM Powered Family. (2024, April 7). Candle carousel experiment - exploring physics. Retrieved from https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/candle-carousel-experiment/
• Wikipedia. (2024, October 21). Christmas pyramid. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_pyramid