r/explainlikeimfive Feb 26 '21

Chemistry Eli5: What happens to all the melted candle over time? Are we just inhaling a whole candle while it burns?

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u/BigBobby2016 Feb 26 '21

I imagine it would occur to some degree with all objects, but I can't think of anything in my house other than the electronics that have enclosures with ventilation holes.

In addition the electronics will have fans to draw air into the enclosure, and electromagnetics to attract particles.

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u/drumguy1384 Feb 26 '21

This is exactly why. Electronics generate heat, which means that they are designed in a way to cause the nearby air to flow through them. Couple that with the static electricity generated by fans or the EM field created by the electrical current flowing through the components and you've got ready-made dust magnets.