Final answer:
An unlit incense stick does not give off a smell, but once it is lit, the smoke carries the fragrance and you can smell it from a distance.
Step-by-step explanation:
When you put an unlit incense stick in a corner of your class, you would need to go relatively close to it in order to smell it. This is because the unlit incense stick does not release any fragrance into the air. However, when you light the incense stick, it starts to burn and release smoke and fragrance particles into the air. As a result, you will be able to smell the incense from a distance even without getting close to it.
Lighting the incense stick converts the solid incense material into gaseous particles, which can travel in the air and reach your nose. This is why you can smell the incense even from a distance. The smoke produced by burning the incense carries the fragrance with it.
So, in conclusion, you need to get close to an unlit incense stick to smell it, but once it is lit, you can smell it from a distance.