You still hear the term Candle Power but it is now archaic. It served well in it's day but as a repeatable 'standard' it fails. The quantity of light emitted by an object is now measured in Lumens.
The Candle Power standard requires a 1/6 pound, round, axial wick, burning at a rate of 120 grains per hour. The candle must be made of Spermaceti or whale oil from the head of a sprem whale.
That standard covers a few variables but does not take into effect ambient temperature, humidity, air flow and oxygen content, and I'll bet no two whales have oil of the exact same properties.
We still talk about the brightness of a bulb in watts. The unit watt has nothing to do with light at all.
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
older/exasperated
Poppi Iceland
Kasey Everly
Kylie Piette
Noelle Flores
sweetfeet
Salon.com
Comments
I guess my measure of candle power is how much light I can get out of one after a hurricane visits. Two days of no electricity showed me that not all candles last the same time. Now I need to get the good ones...
Don't get the big fat decorative candles. The flame only heats the center area around the wick and melts the wax into a wee pool of liquid wax which eventually smothers the flame.
I live in an area where the power goes out three or four times every winter for hours to weeks at a time. May I recommend that you get a couple of simple wick type oil lamps and a gallon jug of lamp oil. Should be available at your local hardware store. You'll have better light for longer, safer and cheaper than candles. Experience has spoke.