Paraffin wax is a familiar substance because it is used to make candles. It is a soft, white solid at room temperature that melts and burns easily. Its chemical composition is a mix of hydrocarbon molecules known as alkanes. Paraffin wax melts at temperatures between 125 and 175 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on its exact mixture. The wax has a number of uses and was instrumental in the discovery of a subatomic particle, the neutron . The general formula for paraffin wax involves n carbon atoms and 2n plus 2 hydrogen atoms, where n is at least 16. For example, one of the hydrocarbons in the wax might have the formula C31H64. In the manufacture of paraffin wax from petroleum, different amounts of refining can change the mix of hydrocarbons and thereby modify some of the wax's properties, such as its melting point. Manufacturers make the wax by removing the oil from a waxy byproduct of petroleum distillation.
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