Illustration from an 1892 Chemistry book for Faraday's experiment for investigating the different parts of a candle flame. An ignited candle in holder is next to a glass flask, a glass tube extends from the flame of the candle through the neck and into the globe of the flask. The Chemical History of a Candle was the title of a series of six Christmas lectures for young people (1860) on the chemistry and physics of flames given by Michael Faraday at the Royal Institution where he gave an in-depth analysis of the evolutionary development, workings and science of candles. His account has served as the basis for lessons in taking observations in science ever since.