What’s in a candle flame?

Is a flame really a plasma? Well it depends on your definition of plasma, but there are certainly ions in a flame, formed as molecules collide with each other at high speed, sometimes knocking electrons off of their atoms. Special thanks to the Palais de la Decouverte for helping perform this experiment. Using tens of thousands of volts on two metal plates, strong electric field around the plasma was created. This pulled positive ions in one direction and negative ions in the other direction elongating the flame horizontally and causing it to flicker like a “papillon” (butterfly). Then much longer sparks were made through the flame than through air because ions increase conductivity.