1. Gather your materials: You'll need a piece of paper, a pair of scissors, and a candle.
2. Cut a small piece of paper into a strip or shape.
3. Light the candle and let it burn for a moment to create a stable flame.
4. Hold the paper strip with a pair of tongs or tweezers and carefully place it into the flame.
5. Observe what happens to the paper. You'll notice that it starts to burn and turns into ash.
6. The burning of paper is a chemical reaction called combustion. During combustion, the carbon in the paper combines with oxygen in the air to form carbon dioxide gas (CO2) and water vapor (H2O). The ash that remains is mostly carbon.
This experiment demonstrates that paper contains carbon because it burns and produces carbon dioxide gas.