This documents enumerates the different demonstrations included in Michael Faraday's Chemical History of a Candle . These are divided into "demonstrations", in which something happens, and "displays", in which an object is shown to the audience. Many of the demonstrations are multi-part. The pagination follows the Dover reprint, and gives the starting page of the demonstration. The "Lecture on Platinum", which is included in this volume, but was not one of the original Christmas lectures, is not included here. I have kept Faraday's own wording, in almost all cases, to avoid misinterpreting.

In some places, it is unclear whether the demonstration was actually performed; for example, on p. 20 Faraday says, "If I made a current in one direction, my cup would be lop-sided and the fluid would consequently run over." The list below does not include these; it includes only cases where it is clear from Faraday's wording that he was actually performing the demonstration during the lecture.

Demonstrations

Lecture 1

1. Emptying candles out of moulds. p. 16.
2. Light candle. p. 19.
3. Lamp glass to protect the flame from wind. p. 19.
4. Capillary action of salt water in a column of salt, p. 25.
5. Vessel made of wire gauze holds water. p. 26.
6. Capillary action of camphene through cane. p. 26.
7. Lighting the fumes from a candle after it has been blown out. p. 29
8. Shadow of flame cast by light from electric lamp. p. 31
9. Downward pointing flame. p. 33.
10. Burn cotton ball immersed in alcoholic spirit. p. 35.
    • Throws in plums. p. 36.

    Lecture 2

11. Vapor from a candle collected through a tube into a flask and lit. p. 41
12. Vapor from heated wax collected and lit. p. 42.
13. Vapor from a candle is passed through a tube, and the end of the tube is lit. p. 43
    • Candle end of tube is raised; vapor is no longer combustible. p.44 <.UL>
    • Piece of paper held in flame. Burns on edge of flame, not in center. p. 44
    • Flame in a jar goes out. p. 45
    • Oil lamp with obstructed and unobstructed air flow. p. 46.
    • Incomplete combustion of turpentine in a cotton ball. p. 47.
    • Burn mixture of gunpowder and iron filings. p. 48.
    • Burn lycopodium powder. p. 50.
    • Dip glass tube into candle flame, getting black vapor. p. 51.
    • Put wire gauze into candle flame. p. 52
    • Heat platinum in candle flame. p. 53.
    • Burn hydrogen in a container, put a piece of lime inside. p. 53.
    • Burn charcoal. p. 55
    • Burn phosphorus. p. 55.
      • Burn phosphorus in a closed glass container. p. 56.
    • Ignite a mixture of potassium chlorate and antimony sulfate with a drop of sulfuric acid ("chlorate of potassa" and "sulfuret of antimony" in Faraday's terminology). p. 56.
    • Burn zinc. p. 57
      • Put the produce zinc oxide into a burning hydrogen flame. p. 57
    • Burn smoke from camphene in hydrogen flame. p. 58
      • Adds more air, so that initial combustion is complete and smoke does not burn. p. 59.
      • Blows on gas light. p. 60.
    • Fills fire-balloon with products of alcohol flame. p.
    • Burns candle in a jar.

      Lecture 3

    • Put piece of potassium in basin of water. p. 66.
    • Burn candle underneath dish of ice and salt. Water condenses. p. 66
      • Put potassium on this water. p. 66
    • Same result with spirit lamp. p. 67.
    • Expansion of water on freezing bursts iron vessel. p. 71.
    • Expansion of water on boiling. p. 71.
    • Condensation of steam. p. 74.
    • Collapse of closed vessel containing steam when steam is condensed. p. 74.
    • Oxydation of zinc. p. 78.
    • Burn iron filings in flame.
    • Pass steam over hot iron filings. Iron is oxydized, liberating hydrogen. p. 80.
      • Hydrogen is collected in a test tube over water. p. 81.
      • Hydrogen is ignited. p. 82.
      • Hydrogen is "poured" upward from one inverted container to another. p. 83.
      • Oxydation of zinc in water liberates hydrogen. p. 85.
      • ``Philosopher's candle'': Flame from hydrogen generated by oxydation of zinc in water.
        • Combustion of the hydrogen produces water.
      • Hydrogen-filled soap bubbles.
      • Hydrogen-filled baloons.
      • Arc light from a battery.

        Lecture 4

        Lecture 5

        Lecture 6

Displays

Lecture 1

1. Bits of timber. p. 10
2. Candle-wood. p. 11
3. Dips. p. 11.
4. Candle from wreck of Royal George p. 12
5. Lump of suet. p. 13
6. Stearin pressed cakes. p. 13.
7. Stearin candle. p. 14.
8. Sperm candle. p. 14.
9. Yellow bees'-was and refined bees'-wax. p. 14.
10. Parafin and parafin candles. p. 14.
11. Japanese wax. p. 14.
12. Frame of candle moulds. p. 15.
13. Half-finished candle. p. 16.
14. Colored candles. p. 17.
15. Fluted candle. p. 17.
16. Display candle flame. p. 29.
17. Drawing of candle flame by Hooker. p. 30

    Lecture 2

    Lecture 3

18. Display distilled water, water from combustion of oil lamp, water from combustion of candle. p. 68.

    Lecture 4

    Lecture 5

    Lecture 6